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1. Community led Sensitization Workshop: One of the prime focus of the advocacy unit is LGBTQ+ sensitization, that aimed at fostering social safe spaces for the communities and create sensitivity and promote inclusivity for LGBTQ+ communities. In pursuit of this goal, the team actively collaborates with various stakeholders, including the police, bureaucrats, policymakers, the press, and the corporate sector. To broaden their reach, the team adopts different strategies and innovative approaches, such as organizing interactive workshops, film screenings, plays, panel discussions and exposure visits. These methods effectively contribute to raising awareness and promoting understanding of LGBTQ+ issues in the wider society.
2. Ek Madhav Baug: A play written by Lt. Chetan Datar, is one of the pioneering plays written on homosexuality and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. The poignant play tells the story of a 22-year-old young boy coming to terms with his sexuality. The play is seen from the viewpoint of the mother of this young man who is reading his diary in which he speaks to his mother about growing up, and the conflicts faced in coming to terms with his sexuality. The play brings out the emotions of the mother and son; and leaves no soul untouched through its intensity and heartfelt content.  Ek Madhavbaug is performed in Hindi and English by Mona Ambegaonkar who has numerous theatre, film, and ad campaigns to her credit. We have performed at over 56 corporate spaces in India and completed more than 140 performances.  The play is performed in two formats - a play reading and a full-stage play performance.
   1. 1. The play reading format was developed to increase the outreach of the play. The reading format is logistically quite minimalistic- it requires only a simple table and chair in terms of set-up. This format gives the play an option to be read and performed on an online platform as well. 
      2. Unlike the reading session, the full stage format has a proper set-up with props, lights, and sound which also requires some type of technical support. This format is usually for auditoriums and theatres. For more information – [email protected]
3. Film Screenings: Films serve as a powerful tool for both advocacy and entertainment within The Humsafar Trust has been actively involved in producing films that not only engage allies but also resonate with LGBTQ+ communities. Titles like '68 Pages', 'Bolo', 'Aa Muskura', and 'MTV Staying Alive Short Films' are among the valuable resources available at HST. Moreover, HST takes pride in being a co-founder of India's largest LGBTQ+ film festival, 'KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival'. This festival serves as an exceptional platform for enhancing the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, HST's initiative STUDIO DHANAK which attempt to bring together enthusiastic, aspiring writers/film makers of the LGBTQ+ community together - nurture them, guide them, train them, hone their skills and help them, to write their stories and convert them into short films. These initiatives contribute significantly to the portrayal and representation of LGBTQ+ stories, fostering understanding and acceptance in society.
4. Roundtable/Panel Discussion: To promote LGBTQ+ inclusion and raise awareness about sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) issues, we regularly host thematic panel discussions within corporate settings. These discussions center around significant concerns faced by the LGBTQ+ community, particularly legal challenges in India. By providing a platform for interaction, these panel discussions initiate conversations about SOGI topics and foster a better understanding of the challenges related to LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace. Our aim is to create an inclusive environment where discussions on SOGI issues become a catalyst for positive change and greater acceptance.

Community mobilization plays a crucial role in advancing the rights, well-being, and visibility of LGBTQ+ individuals and communities. It involves organizing and empowering LGBTQ+ individuals, creating support networks, fostering leadership, and advocating for inclusive policies and societal change.

The Community Mobilization is key strength at The Humsafar Trust, which drive strives to foster leadership within the LGBTQ+ community through its intervention and outreach. This initiative works in collaboration with several support groups, including Yaariyan, a youth initiative by HST; Umang, an LBT support group; Sanjeevani, a support group for individuals living with HIV; and Mumbai Queer Pride (MQP), a collective of LGBTQ+ organizations responsible for organizing the Mumbai Pride March. These spaces can provide a sense of belonging, acceptance, and understanding, which is especially vital for LGBTQ+ individuals who may face discrimination and marginalization in their daily lives.

In addition, The Humsafar Trust actively participates and provides its technical, financial support to community events and annual pride marches held in various cities across the country. These collective efforts contribute to building strong community bonds and amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ individuals.

LGBTQ+ media engagement holds significant importance in raising awareness and fostering understanding of LGBTQ+ communities within society. Recognizing this, The Humsafar Trust (HST) actively engages with the press to ensure positive and constructive interactions. HST maintains a strong presence across various social media platforms, utilizing robust social media handles to share information and updates. Additionally, the organization regularly issues press releases to maintain a positive image and provide accurate information about its initiatives.

Moreover, HST understands the importance of fair and sensitive media coverage. The team keep a close eye on press reports to ensure that the coverage pertaining to LGBTQ+ issues is unbiased, respectful, and sensitive. In order to promote better understanding, HST conducts workshops with media representatives, providing them with insights into the LGBTQ+ community's experiences and challenges. These workshops aim to enhance the sensitivity and knowledge of media professionals, enabling them to portray LGBTQ+ issues in an informed and inclusive manner.

By positively engaging with the press and collaborating through workshops and information-sharing, HST strives to foster a media landscape that promotes accurate representation, empathy, and awareness of LGBTQ+ communities. Such engagement plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion and contributing to a more inclusive society.

Since the reading down of Section 377 by the Supreme court, we saw a huge shift in the Diversity and inclusion landscape in India. Many corporates in India started D&I initiatives and began the conversation around recruitment/hire diverse candidates from the LGBTQ+ community. We at Humsafar, have engaged with more than 400+ Corporates for their Recruitment related requirements. On this journey we have learnt some lessons, gained experience which helped us develop a recruitment process document along with an Aspirational document for LGBTQ+ inclusion at the workplace which is authored by 29 LGBTQ+ individuals.

In the month of June, 2022, a two-day National Coalition workshop on corporate engagement was organised by The Humsafar trust in Delhi. The workshop aimed to create a national level network to facilitate the LGBTQ+ Recruitment for corporates. The workshop also focused on understanding the different aspects of LGBTQ+ inclusion and the way forward to facilitate further LGBTQ+ recruitment in India.

1. Policy Review : HST formulates an assessment metric based on guidelines suggested in the Manual for Workplace Inclusion created by HST. These guidelines include policies against discrimination and harassment, policies that promote inclusion and gender diversity, policies that address unconscious bias in hiring and appraisal and policies on inclusive communication.
2. Sensitization Workshop : HST conducts Sensitization sessions with relevant departments. The first phase of these workshops will include a basic understanding of gender and sexuality where notions about gender binaries, stereotypes and heteronormativity are addressed and dismantled. The second phase involves discussion on how to create an inclusive work culture beyond policies by addressing hidden biases and implicit norms in communication, behavior and ways of functioning that create a discriminatory environment for LGBTQ+. These workshops will be conducted with the HR teams, senior management and employees of the departments where LGBTQ+ hiring is planned and the ground level staff. The final phase will include conducting LGBTQ+ themed events like movie screening and staging of relevant plays for all the employees.
3. Community Mobilization- Profile Mapping :  HST calls for resumes of LGBTQ persons. HST also verifies their suitability for the listed roles and link candidates to the company’s HR. HST facilitates the process and link the candidates to the employer.

1. Section 377: Being a LGBTQ+ Health and Human Rights organization, The Humsafar Trust (HST) has been an active stakeholder in the process of reading down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which decriminalized same-sex relations, since early 2000s. While this law affected both health services seeking behaviours along with safety and privacy of queer persons in India, it was an ultimate barrier for the organization’s vision. In 2018, after years of struggle, the Supreme Court decriminalized Same-sex relations through a 5 judge Constitution Bench. The Humsafar Trust was one of the petitioners in the Supreme Court during the final ruling of decriminalization on September 6th, 2018.
2. The Transgender rights in India: The Humsafar Trust, played a significant role in amplifying community input and perspectives to The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules 2020. A draft made through a process of community consultations was submitted to the Parliamentary process to update the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019 after a severe backlash from the community as it was perceived to be diluting the grounds formed by the Supreme Court NALSA Judgement of April 2014. Almost 75% of input and feedback was incorporated in The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules 2020.
3. Marriage Equality: The Supreme Court of India initiated a hearing on Marriage Equality in 2023 via a 5-Judge Constitution Bench. Integrated Network for Sexual Minorities (INFOSEM) - A network of more than 110 LGBTQ+ Community Based Organizations in India, is one of the petitioners for this case and is actively working towards a judgement in favor of the LGBTQ+ community. The Humsafar Trust is the secretariat of INFOSEM and is offering technical assistance to the INFOSEM during the process of this hearing. The Supreme Court heard the arguments in May 2023 and have reserved the judgement.