IIT Bombay, with a whole lot of boys and just a smattering of girls may well be one of the most unevenly divided campuses we have around. But wait. There is even more to it.
Saathi, a one of its kind LGBTQ support group which was set up in IIT Bombay in mid 2011, advocates for the rights of gender and sexual minorities of the campus. It serves the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning students by creating a positive environment and helping them to come to terms with themselves. According to a survey, about 4% of the college going population in India is gay and they are left secluded in perpetual state of anxiety. Saathi aims to make the college environment comfortable for these minority groups which are at the receiving end of mockery and ragging. It works to eliminate heteronormativism, homophobia and gender identity oppression and provide safe place and counselling to individuals who have faced harassment because of their sexual orientations. It has voluntary members from students as well as faculty and holds meetings regularly and has a mentor programme to sensitize members who further sensitize other students of the campus. It strives to educate and enhance understanding, acceptance and awareness regarding LGBTQ issues among the campus community. Saathi has also advocated for institutional policy changes and program development that recognizes the needs and rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. It has also had an impact on the straight students as they no longer discriminate among students on this basis. In a country where gays and lesbians have been forced into the shadows, Saathi has definitely traversed some positive steps. Initially, the students were hesitant to join the group but over the years large number of students has come up to support the initiative. Even the founders of this group expected it to be a niche group but it has gone a long way and we may soon see such groups in other IITs as well. The volunteers at Saathi work hard to make us believe that you can lead a respectable, healthy and successful life even if you are a gay. We have been indifferent to the LGBTQ community for too long. It’s time to break the shackles of silence, be a medium of change and Saathi definitely is a fine example of an initiative of change. The founders of Saathi proudly and truly quote that “At IIT Bombay, you can be gay and happy”.