Bengaluru: In a significant step towards designing community-led interventions for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, CBM India convened a multi-stakeholder consultation titled “Understanding Community Realities, Voices and Perspectives of LGBTQIA+, with a Special Focus on Transgender Persons,” bringing together LGBTQIA+ community representatives, government officials, development practitioners, and civil society organizations in Bengaluru.
The consultation lays the foundation for Project Sparsh, CBM India’s proposed initiative to strengthen health, livelihoods, and social inclusion for LGBTQIA+ people in Bengaluru. The initiative places lived experiences at the centre of its design, ensuring that future interventions reflect the community’s priorities and aspirations.
The consultation was inaugurated by Smt. Padma Basavanthappa, IAS, Project Director, Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS), Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka. The event also featured addresses by Dr. Dhananjay T. N., Joint Director, Targeted Interventions, KSAPS; Dr. Rajini G. N., Assistant Director, Prevention of Parent-to-Child Transmission, KSAPS and Joint Director, National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCBVI), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka; and Mr. Sony Thomas, Executive Director, CBM India Trust, underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts to improve health, livelihoods, and social protection for LGBTQIA+ communities.
Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Sony Thomas, Executive Director, CBM India, said, “Marginalized communities understand their realities better than anyone else, and their voices must shape the programs and policies meant to serve them. Project Sparsh is built on the principles of participation, dignity, and partnership. While Bengaluru has emerged as an important hub for diversity and inclusion, many LGBTQIA+ persons continue to face barriers in accessing employment, healthcare, and public services. Through this consultation, we hope to co-create solutions that strengthen access to opportunities while advancing the rights and well-being of LGBTQIA+ people.”
Smt. Padma Basavanthappa, IAS, Project Director, Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS), Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka, said, “Initiatives like this highlight the importance of collaboration between the government, NGOs, and communities. It is encouraging to see organizations like CBM India working closely with the LGBTQIA+ community on health and livelihoods. There is significant scope to expand opportunities in healthcare, skill development, and economic empowerment, and the government remains committed to supporting such efforts.”
Dr. Dhananjay T. N., Joint Director, Targeted Interventions, KSAPS, remarked, “The LGBTQIA+ community has long faced barriers to livelihoods and basic opportunities, often without a platform to voice their needs. This consultation is a crucial first step towards understanding those needs so we can work together to strengthen their economic well-being. There is also significant scope to raise seed funding for MSMEs and other livelihood ventures within the community. As part of KSAPS, we look forward to working with CBM India on this important initiative.”
Sharing the community’s perspective, Mallu S. Kumbar, transgender rights activist and State Coordinator/Program Officer, Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum (KSMF) and Aneka Trust, said, “Our transgender community faces numerous challenges in health and livelihoods. Sex-reassignment surgery is expensive, and the recovery period leads to further loss of income. From healthcare costs and unemployment to inadequate medical infrastructure and social alienation, the barriers are many. We need greater support in health, livelihoods, and education, and we hope to see meaningful action in these areas.”
The participatory dialogue focused on livelihoods, employment, healthcare, mental health, eye health, financial inclusion, education, access to government welfare schemes, societal acceptance, and the unique challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ persons with disabilities. Participants also identified practical recommendations for building more inclusive public systems and strengthening access to essential services.
The insights from the consultation, including the need for market-linked skill development, dignified livelihood opportunities, accessible healthcare, financial inclusion, stronger linkages to government welfare schemes, and greater community awareness to reduce stigma and discrimination, will inform the design and implementation of Project Sparsh.
The project aims to improve the health, livelihoods, and social well-being of 1,000 LGBTQIA+ people in Bengaluru through inclusive healthcare, HIV and STI support, vision care, entrepreneurship, skill development, and community-led support systems. Participants will receive entrepreneurship and livelihood training, financial and digital literacy, awareness of government schemes and legal rights, and exposure visits to successful enterprises to help build sustainable livelihood opportunities suited to their interests and local market needs.
Through Project Sparsh, CBM India seeks to demonstrate how community-led planning can create more inclusive development models where LGBTQIA+ persons can access quality healthcare, livelihoods, and social protection with dignity, independence, and without discrimination.