People Like Us (PLUS)

A PLUS for Gender-Variant Men

"At college, the harassment and victimisation continued unabated. I approached different agencies such as the police. We tried all modes including protests. But it all came to nothing"

"Today, I understand the reasons for society’s hostility towards me and people like me. They do not want us because we challenge their entrenched notions of gender and sexuality. Generally, people are afraid of the unknown. And because of the fear of the unknown, they do not want to know. This breeds a vicious circle."-  Agniva Lahiri, Executive Director "People Like Us", Kolkata, Eastern India

This summarises the plight of many Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) and transgendered people, who are humiliated, abused, discriminated against, exploited and marginalized by society. It is in response to this challenge that People Like Us (PLUS), the support group for transgender and gender-variant men was set up.

Starting as an informal group in 2001, PlUS today, works in three Indian states - West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh - PLUS represents the experiences and realities of young transgender and gender-variant men in India. It works for the promotion, protection and advancement of their health and rights, and in ensuring their meaningful participation in decision-making at all levels. With the aim of providing a comprehensive support system, PLUSoffers education; access to information and services, counselling, rehabilitation, research, training, crisis management, psycho-social and medical intervention, legal service; and help in prevention, treatment and management of sexually-transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS.

PLUS believes that the empowerment of vulnerable young boys and men is fundamental to their development and focuses all its work within a rights-based approach. Empowerment, it believes, can be achieved through advocacy, capacity building, and communications. It bases all its advocacy and campaign work on research studies it regularly commissions on HIV, human rights and law; and socio-economic and demographic impact.

PLUS' main strategy is lobbying for the inclusion and rights of transgendered people at various levels – in the government, multilateral organizations and international forums. It focuses on linking and networking with other groups working in allied areas for sharing capacities, knowledge and resources.  PLUS’ programmes are focused on education, health and rights, and are developed based on the active participation of the community – both people and institutions.

Among the projects and programmes PLUS is executing are male sexual health; youth leadership; research and evidence-based advocacy; prevention of trafficking of adolescents and young boys; protection of vulnerable adolescents and youth from sexual abuse and exploitation; and intervention and support for men who sell sex (male sex workers). Its focus groups include men who have sex with men; migrants and workers on the move; victims of sex trafficking; and sex workers and their clients.

In April 2008, PLUS set up India's first temporary shelter for trans-sexual males, Prothom which means first of its kind, in Kolkata for those coming to the city, particularly in search of work, from different parts of West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. It set up similar centres in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Prothom’s aim is to provide holistic support – physical, emotional, psychological, social, cultural and financial - to trans-sexual men.

The idea of the home came from the findings of a situational assessment study on the Luanda community (dancing boys who migrate to West Bengal and other Indian states from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for dance performances and sex work). Initiated as a pilot drop-in and short-term residential home in Kolkata, Prothom took shape with the rising demand for these homes. Shunned by society, most such boys and men sleep on the pavements, making them targets for abuse, robbery, violence and even police harassment. Being poor, lonely, confused and helpless in an alien city, these boys do not know what to do or where to go. They need protection and shelter. PLUS provides them a safe and protective environment.

At Prothom, accommodation is free usually for 15 days but up to three months. Food cost is subsidized 50% and waived in special cases. The crisis intervention unit in these homes helps trans-sexual men with post-castration problems. With two full-time and two part-time counsellors, apart from a number of empanelled physicians and HIV clinic links, the crisis intervention unit caters to almost all medical, psychological and emotional needs of trans-sexual men. The home, open 24x7, is also a drop-in centre where trans-sexual boys and men can meet, discuss and exchange ideas. Many come there regularly to watch television, read books or chat with friends.

While PLUS has managed to provide a voice to the trans-sexual men both in the national and international arena, Agniva is conscious of the importance of media in building public opinion on the alternate perceptions of transgendered people. Says Agniva: "We have a long way to go and it is important for us that the society takes an informed stand. We are ready to do all we can for that."