DEQH · Desi LGBTQ+ Helpline For South Asians

About Us

DeQH (Desi lgbtQ+ Helpline) is the first and only national Desi lgbtQ+ Helpline in the United States. They offer free, confidential, culturally sensitive peer support, information and resources for LGBTQ+ South Asian individuals, families and friends around the globe. They want to offer a safe and supportive ear for callers to share their concerns, questions, struggles or hopes through conversations with their trained South Asian peer support volunteers. They are a volunteer collective of South Asian queer and trans individuals across the United States.

Vision and Mission

Vision

An equitable world where Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Trans, and Gender Nonbinary (LGBQ/TGNB+) communities of color, including South Asians, are free to thrive in their multitude of identities with collective care and emotional support.

Mission

DeQH is an all-volunteer collective dedicated to strengthening wellness and reducing isolation by connecting LGBQ/TGNB+ South Asians to communities and resources that support and promote healing and thriving. They provide free, confidential, culturally sensitive peer support by and for LGBQ/TGNB+ South Asians in the United States.

Their Values:

• They are by and for the LGBQ/TGNB+ South Asian diaspora: as they serve their communities, they are also part of the communities; as they provide support, they themselves are also healing.

• They actively listen to and support people wherever they are in their process, including those who do not identify with a label or who are still exploring or questioning their identities.

• They practice consent and confidentiality, and prioritize the safety and anonymity of the people reaching out to them.

• They prioritize accessibility and believe there should be no barriers to receiving support.

• They aspire to be trauma-informed and survivor-centered and affirm the experiences of their communities without judgement.

• They aim to center the most marginalized in our work and to resist all forms of oppressive hierarchies that contribute to violence and harm, including ableism; cissexism; heterosexism; casteism; classism; nationalism; anti-Muslim discrimination; racism, including anti-Black racism; white supremacy; and all forms of oppressive hierarchies.

• They are non-hierarchical and value collective decision-making and supporting each other’s leadership, strengths, and growth.

• They are committed to listening, adapting, and growing based on the needs of their communities, and therefore are open to feedback from those they support.

South Asian? We serve people of South Asian heritage, including people who are multiracial, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet, as well as from South Asian communities in the diaspora, such as the Caribbean, Fiji, and eastern and southern Africa.