Umang is a support group for lesbian–bisexual women and transmasculine persons.

The support group was formed as a way to facilitate and improve access of LBT communities to support spaces. LBT communities are further invisible within the LGBTQ+ identities, and often do not have any support systems. Group founders themselves faced adverse experiences and in many instances also knew people who could not seek legal recourse. The group was thus formed to address these challenges.

Sonal Giani is an activist with over a decade of experience in speaking about LGBTQ+ issues. She is a speaker for LGBTQ+ inclusion in educational and corporate spaces, and presents LGBTQ+ voices via filmmaking.
Raj Kanaujia works with the group and provides peer counseling, gender reaffirmation peer guidance, and crises guidance for transmen and other LGBTQ+ individuals. He has over a decade of experience addressing crises and providing peer support.
Shruta Rawat has a decade of experience with LGBTQ+ research and is currently associated with Umang as for providing referrals, peer guidance, crises redressal, and access to peer spaces.

The group functions with volunteers as well as grants that fund independent activities. Since our inception in 2010, Umang has provided peer support, crises guidance, gender reaffirmation guidance, financial aid to LBT across India. While funding remains a challenge, the group has organized LBT themed film festivals, community meeting events, career fairs, health workshops, community consultations on LGBTQ+ rights over managing the helpline.

Peer support for LBT. Crises redressal for LBT. Mental health and gender reaffirmation referrals for LBT. Community support for LBT

The group provides peer guidance for immediate mental health concerns followed by referrals for professional mental health care. We believe that accesses to mental health resources is a right and a critical need for LBT.

We have a referral list for LGBTQ+ friendly mental health professionals who our clients are referred to. We also provide sensitisation and capacity strengthening sessions for health professionals to improve their understanding of LGBTQ+ issues.

Sexual attraction to minors Legal protection for perpetrators of domestic/sexual assaults.

We prefer to meet potential member’s first in a neutral space before we add them to our WhatsApp group. Individuals can call the helpline for any information or may attend our events without the need to meet us first.The.

Our events follow multiple formats. All of them may not qualify as group sessions.

We believe in confidentiality, mutual respect, non-judgmental attitudes and empathy as our core values.

While all our events are not group sesions, we would primarily hope for individuals to feel connected to a community. we would hope for them to believe that they have access to a space where they can be themselves.