Freeman14H at 00:21, 1 May 2026

2026-05-01T00:21:52Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2025}}
{{Short description|LGBT rights group in India}}
'''Sangama''' is an [[LGBT]] rights group based in [[Bangalore]], [[India]]. When it began in 1999,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Love and let love |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/culture/style/love-and-let-love/cid/1553141 |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=www.telegraphindia.com |language=en}}</ref> Sangama acted as a documentation center but it has since grown to become an [[LGBT]] rights and HIV prevention [[NGO]]<ref name="S">{{cite news |last=Senthalir |date=18 July 2011 |title=Fights to create safer space for sexual minorities |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Fights-to-create-safer-space-for-sexual-minorities/articleshow/9263215.cms |newspaper=The Times of India }}</ref> that mobilizes against sexual harassment and discrimination and conducts HIV prevention seminars and programmes. The organization works with non-English speaking, working class sex workers and LGBT people and people living with HIV (PLHIV) in [[Karnataka]] and [[Kerala]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=NGO Launches Fundraising Campaign to Help Sex Workers, Transpersons in Karnataka |url=https://thewire.in/rights/sex-workers-karnataka-coronavirus |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=The Wire}}</ref>

==History==
Sangama was founded in 1999 by [[Manohar Elavarthi]] as a center that provided counseling services to sexual minorities and research materials to scholars of LGBT issues in the [[Bangalore]] region.<ref name="Indrani"/> Other members in the first board included Arunesh Maiyer, Shubha Chacko and Arvind Narrain. Maiyer is the current president of the board from 2016.<ref>https://www.linkedin.com/in/arunesh-maiyar-80676331/?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=in</ref> The organization hosted discussions that attracted social activists and English speaking LGBT individuals. Over the years, the organization expanded its scope from providing counseling services, to providing HIV/AIDS information, supporting the rights of transgender people through rallies and mobilization and acting as safe drop-in for LGBT individuals in [[Karnataka]]. The organization's human rights focus has encouraged its attention to focus on non-English speaking [[Kothi (gender)|Kothi]]s and [[Hijra (South Asia)|Hijra]]'s from underprivileged communities in India who are at risk of HIV and abuse.

==Activities==

===Liaison with community groups===
Sangama works with a few organizations in an HIV prevention project called Lasyakairali Pehchan. The project provides support to community based organizations on strategies to prevent HIV/AIDS in their respective [[LGBT culture in Bangalore|LGBT communities]]. Samara a community based organization that implements HIV/AIDS prevention programs in the [[Bengaluru Nagara district|Bangalore Urban District]] is an outgrowth of Sangama.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Samara to handle projects of HIV prevention programme|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/samara-to-handle-projects-of-hiv-prevention-programme/article324115.ece |newspaper= The Hindu|location=Bangalore |date=5 March 2009 }}</ref>

===Outreach===
Sangama established two outreach projects, one to reach gay individuals and the other to reach out to transgender people. Fieldworkers go to cruising joints to listen to problems faced by individuals and sex workers on the streets of Bangalore. The outreach programs helped Sangama gain more members for its drop-in sessions.<ref name="Indrani"/>

In conjunction with the Karnataka Sex Workers Union and Pedestrian Films, Sangama released a feature-length movie, ''Let the butterflies fly'', in 2012. The movie was rejected at the [[Bangalore International Film Festival|Bangalore Film Festival]] but won an award at the [[Mumbai Queer Film Festival|Kashish Mumbai Festival]].<ref name="SR">{{cite news |author= |title=Sangama releases award winning documentary|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/sangama-releases-award-winning-documentary/article3537035.ece |newspaper= The Hindu|location=Bangalore |date=19 June 2012 }}</ref>

===Legal services===
Sangama provides legal aid to sexual minorities who are abused and harassed by the police or charged with crimes due to their sexual orientation.<ref name="Indrani">{{cite book |last=Sen |first=Indrani |date=2005 |title= Transgender human rights |location=Delhi |publisher=Isha Books |pages=205–209 }}</ref> Apart from legal services, the group also tracks police harassment and detention of LGBT individuals in Karnataka. In 2008, while going to a police station to support 5 hijras who were arrested, Sangama representatives were sent to another station where they were beaten.<ref>Wockner, R. (6 November 2008). Trans people and LGBT activists arrested in India. Between the Lines</ref> The organization continues to speak out about sexual discrimination and rights for transgender people in India.{{fact|date=February 2025}}

=== Corona relief ===
With a donation of Rs.1.5 lakh from [[Arundhati Roy]], Sangama collected about Rs.10 lakh to provide relief of Rs.2000 each to sex workers and trans persons in the districts of Bangalore Rural, Hasan, Bidar, Yadgir, Ramanagara, Haveri, Gadag, Raichur, Koppala, Kolar, Chikmagalur and Uttar Kannada. Two sex worker collectives Karnataka Sex Workers Union (KSWU) and Uttar Karnataka Mahila Ookutta (UKMO) helped with the distribution.<ref name=":0" />

=== Reservation for Transgender in Karnataka ===
Following the advocacy efforts of Sangama, the Karnataka government amended recruitment rules in May 2021 to grant one per cent reservation to transgender persons in merit category, scheduled caste, [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|scheduled tribe]] and backward classes categories. Sangama and its programme officer Nisha Gulur approached High Court and the government revealed 13 May 2021 notification to the court.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reddy |first=Y Maheswara |date=2021-06-21 |title=Quota for transgenders welcome |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/quota-for-transgenders-welcome/articleshow/83700624.cms |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=Bangalore Mirror |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:LGBTQ culture in India]]
[[Category:LGBTQ political advocacy groups in India]]
[[Category:1999 establishments in Karnataka]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1999]]

Sangama (human rights group) - Revision history

Freeman14H at 00:21, 1 May 2026