Introduction
The Humsafar Trust is an Indian community-based nonprofit organisation working to advance the health, dignity, human rights and social inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people.
Established in Mumbai in 1994, it is recognised as one of India’s oldest and most prominent LGBTQ+ organisations. Its work encompasses HIV prevention and treatment, mental-health counselling, research, legal and crisis support, community mobilisation, workplace inclusion, employment and public-policy advocacy.
The Humsafar Trust works directly with LGBTQ+ communities while building the capacity of community-based organisations across India.
History and Background
The Humsafar Trust was founded in April 1994 by LGBTQ+ activists and professionals, including Ashok Row Kavi, Suhail Abbasi and Sridhar Rangayan.
It emerged at a time when homosexuality was criminalised under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and sexual and gender minorities faced severe discrimination, social isolation and limited access to appropriate healthcare.
The organisation initially operated a community drop-in centre in a building provided by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Early activities included workshops, counselling, HIV awareness and safe spaces for gay men, lesbian women and transgender people.
Its work later expanded to include:
- HIV testing and treatment.
- Sexually transmitted infection services.
- Mental-health counselling.
- Community-based research.
- Human-rights advocacy.
- Crisis and legal assistance.
- Workplace diversity and inclusion.
- Employment and skill development.
- National and regional partnerships.
The Trust contributed to the movement challenging Section 377, which the Supreme Court of India read down in 2018, decriminalising consensual same-sex relations between adults.
Mission and Purpose
The Humsafar Trust works to improve the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people and create a society in which sexual and gender minorities can live with equality, safety and dignity.
Its principal objectives include:
- Preventing HIV and sexually transmitted infections.
- Expanding access to testing, treatment and counselling.
- Supporting LGBTQ+ people living with HIV.
- Defending human rights and challenging discrimination.
- Strengthening community-based organisations.
- Promoting inclusive workplaces.
- Creating education and employment opportunities.
- Producing evidence for public-health policy.
- Improving media representation of LGBTQ+ communities.
- Building community leadership.
The organisation uses a community-led approach, training LGBTQ+ people to participate in outreach, service delivery, research, advocacy and organisational leadership.
Governance and Structure
The Humsafar Trust is registered as a charitable trust in India and is governed by a Board of Trustees.
Its governance system includes organisational policies covering:
- Financial management.
- Human resources.
- Procurement.
- Safeguarding.
- Complaints and redressal.
- Project management.
- Donor compliance.
- Monitoring and reporting.
- Prevention of sexual harassment.
- Community participation.
Professional staff, community outreach workers, counsellors, healthcare providers, researchers and program managers implement its activities.
The organisation operates from Mumbai and has also developed services and partnerships in Delhi and other parts of India. It works through regional networks and community-based organisations to extend its reach beyond its direct service locations.
Funding and Grants
The Humsafar Trust is funded through government programs, international development agencies, foundations, corporate partnerships, philanthropic contributions and community donations.
Its funding supports:
- HIV prevention and treatment.
- Health clinics and outreach.
- Research and data collection.
- Mental-health services.
- Community mobilisation.
- Human-rights advocacy.
- Capacity building.
- Livelihood and employment programs.
- Emergency assistance.
The Trust’s 2021–22 annual report recorded turnover of approximately ₹10.8 crore, supported by multiple donors. Larger grants financed health interventions and national programs, while smaller grants supported innovation, education, skills development and emergency relief.
The Trust has reported managing funding of around ₹100 million through a broad base of agencies, with a smaller proportion raised directly from the community.
The Humsafar Trust is not primarily an open grantmaking foundation. However, it may provide program funding, technical support or subgrants to partner organisations under specific donor-funded projects. Organisations should monitor official notices rather than submitting unsolicited funding requests.
Financial Accountability
The Trust maintains internal financial controls and prepares:
- Monthly financial statements.
- Project-wise expenditure reports.
- Bank reconciliations.
- Internal and external audit reports.
- Donor utilisation certificates.
- Statutory filings.
- Annual income and expenditure statements.
Externally funded projects are managed according to donor agreements and Indian accounting and regulatory requirements.
Major Programs and Initiatives
HIV Prevention and Healthcare
HIV prevention and treatment remain central to The Humsafar Trust’s work.
Services include:
- Confidential HIV testing.
- STI screening and treatment.
- Condom and lubricant distribution.
- Counselling.
- Referrals to hospitals and specialist services.
- Antiretroviral treatment support.
- Online and community outreach.
- Treatment-adherence assistance.
The organisation works with the National AIDS Control Organisation, Mumbai District AIDS Control Society and public hospitals.
Its outreach programs have served gay men, men who have sex with men, transgender people and Hijra communities through physical locations and online platforms.
Community-Based HIV Treatment Centre
In 2019, The Humsafar Trust helped establish one of India’s first integrated community-based HIV treatment centres designed for LGBTQ+ people.
The centre brought several services together in one location, including:
- HIV diagnosis.
- Medical assessment.
- Counselling.
- Antiretroviral medicines.
- Treatment monitoring.
- Referrals and social support.
This community-centred approach reduces barriers created by stigma and overcrowded public-health facilities.
Sanjeevani
Sanjeevani is a support group for gay men, men who have sex with men and transgender people living with HIV in Mumbai and Thane.
Its services include:
- Peer support.
- Treatment information.
- Counselling.
- Health referrals.
- Adherence support.
- Community meetings.
- Assistance in addressing stigma and discrimination.
The program enables people living with HIV to receive emotional and practical support from others with shared experiences.
CONNECT Network
CONNECT is a network of community-based organisations responding to the health and well-being of sexual and gender minorities in India.
The network helps organisations strengthen:
- HIV prevention.
- Community outreach.
- Organisational management.
- Health-service referrals.
- Advocacy.
- Monitoring and reporting.
- Community leadership.
The Humsafar Trust has built the capacity of community organisations across numerous Indian states.
Saksham LGBTQ+ Job Fair
Saksham is a community-led employment initiative that connects LGBTQ+ jobseekers with inclusive employers.
The program promotes inclusion throughout recruitment by supporting:
- LGBTQ+ candidates.
- Inclusive employers.
- Skills development.
- Job readiness.
- Fair recruitment practices.
- Workplace sensitisation.
- Anti-discrimination policies.
The initiative responds to the economic exclusion experienced by many transgender and other LGBTQ+ people.
Workplace Diversity and Inclusion
The Humsafar Trust advises companies on creating safer and more inclusive workplaces.
Its services may include:
- Employee sensitisation.
- LGBTQ+ inclusion training.
- Policy reviews.
- Transgender inclusion strategies.
- Support following discrimination incidents.
- Human-resource consultations.
- Inclusive recruitment guidance.
The organisation has developed partnerships with dozens of businesses and workplaces across India.
Mental Health and Counselling
The Trust provides confidential counselling for issues such as:
- Coming out.
- Family rejection.
- Gender identity.
- Sexual orientation.
- Relationships.
- Anxiety and depression.
- HIV-related concerns.
- Workplace discrimination.
- Violence and harassment.
Counselling is designed to be affirming and sensitive to the experiences of sexual and gender minorities.
Research and Evidence Building
The Humsafar Trust conducts community-based research on HIV, sexual health, discrimination and access to services.
Its research has contributed evidence concerning:
- HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.
- HIV self-testing.
- Online outreach.
- Health needs of transgender women.
- Effects of discriminatory laws.
- Safety and mental health.
- Barriers to healthcare.
The Trust reports that it is an LGBTQ+ organisation with a Department of Health Research-registered Institutional Review Board and a Federalwide Assurance certificate.
Advocacy and Media Engagement
The Trust has produced films, reports, media resources and advocacy materials to improve public understanding of LGBTQ+ communities.
Initiatives have included:
- Mission Azaadi, an advocacy resource supporting LGBTQ+ rights.
- SANCHAR, a guide for responsible media reporting.
- Project Bolo, an oral-history initiative.
- LIKHO, supporting LGBTQ+ writers and journalists.
- Films and documentaries about HIV, sexuality and discrimination.
The organisation has also supported Pride events, film festivals and campaigns challenging discriminatory laws and social attitudes.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
The Humsafar Trust has created substantial impact through healthcare, advocacy, research and community mobilisation.
Reported achievements include:
- Reaching more than 110,000 gay men, men who have sex with men and transgender people through outreach over two decades.
- Providing approximately 40,000 HIV tests.
- Conducting around 70,000 STI screenings and treatments.
- Distributing more than 700,000 condoms annually at over 129 outreach sites.
- Reaching more than 10,000 people annually through online and social-media outreach.
- Providing targeted health services to thousands of LGBTQ+ people each year.
- Building the capacity of community-based organisations across India.
- Developing partnerships with public hospitals and government health agencies.
These figures are drawn from the Trust’s published reports and represent different reporting periods.
Public-Health Impact
The Trust’s advocacy helped public-health authorities recognise the specific HIV vulnerabilities of men who have sex with men, transgender people and Hijra communities.
It became a sentinel surveillance site for India’s National AIDS Control Organisation and has contributed community-level data to national HIV policy.
The organisation reported that HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men in its intervention context declined from 13.5% at the 1999–2000 baseline to 9.3% in 2012 national surveillance data. This change reflects the contribution of multiple public-health interventions and should not be attributed to one organisation alone.
COVID-19 Emergency Response
During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Humsafar Trust provided emergency assistance to LGBTQ+ people affected by lockdowns and income loss.
Support included:
- Food and essential supplies.
- Medical assistance.
- Mental-health counselling.
- Livelihood support.
- Access to HIV medicines.
- Crisis referrals.
The intervention was particularly important for transgender people, informal workers and others excluded from conventional social-protection systems.
Conclusion
The Humsafar Trust is one of India’s leading LGBTQ+ health and human-rights organisations.
Since 1994, it has developed from a Mumbai community drop-in centre into a nationally recognised organisation working in healthcare, HIV prevention, counselling, research, employment, advocacy and institutional capacity building.
Its major programs include community-based HIV services, Sanjeevani, the CONNECT partner network, Saksham job fairs, workplace inclusion and LGBTQ+ research.
The Trust receives funding from government programs, development agencies, foundations, companies and individual supporters. Although it is not primarily an open grantmaking body, it may support partner organisations through specific funded programs.
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