Get to know QYSSA: Queer Youth Solidarity, Support & Affirmation.

Basic Information

• Fees Type: Paid
• City: Online Only
• Facilitated By: An Individual/Facilitator
• Languages: English, Hindi, and Gujarati
• Meets: Weekly On Thursdays
• Participant Limit: 15
• Notes: There is a suggested donation of between Rs 50/- and 200/- to support the continuation of this kind of work.
• Only For Only For Queer & Trans* Participants
• Only For Young Adults (Under Age of 25)

What is the group about?

"QYSSA aims to bring young queer/LGBTQIA+ and questioning youth together to a space where we can collectively unpack what is going on in our lives and individual journeys of discovering our selves. This space is for sharing, listening, offering experiences, asking questions, learning to ask for help and allowing ourselves to be held empathetically by those willing to stand with us. This group is also open to queer youth from across South Asia …"

What is your founding story?

"Both the facilitator and the organisation have been doing work extensively on mental health and community building, but over time we realised that no matter how much we do, the heartbreaking reality that young queer children are struggling to live and grow in their family settings has only gotten more apparent. Post 2020, Anahita has personally been approached by many such young individuals, who have felt at the end of their rope and completely …"

Who is your group for?

"This group is solely for people below the age of 25 who identify as queer, +LGBTQIA or are still questioning and exploring their gender and sexual identity."

How does one sign up? What’s the coordination process like?

"Please DM us on Instagram or email us. Please provide us with the following information if you'd like to join us: Name (chosen or given) \ Age\ Location (optional) \ Email address \ \ Once we have your information, we send you an email on the Sunday before the meeting with the zoom link and any additional information you may need."

Walk us through the average format of your group session.

"The format is relatively informal, after a round of introductions with sharing of pronouns, we do a quick check in to see how everyone is doing. This usually directly leads us into someone wanting to share a thought, question or experience. From that point on we let the conversation roll in whatever direction the participants wish to take it. At the end we do a short closing and check-in once again before signing off."

What do you hope for participants in your group to take back with them after a session?

"To feel like none of us are alone and that these sessions are a place we can always return to, both to be seen as we wish to be and to take a break from our everyday lives and worlds. We hope participants leave feeling more grounded and at peace with themselves, even if there are more questions than answers they carry in that moment. We hope they leave with a little bit of joy too, at having shared a sense of community and togetherness."