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Anyone above the age of 18, has the right to love and have consensual sexual relationships with anyone that they wish to irrespective of their gender. Previously, consensual sexual acts between adults of the same gender were punishable under the law with jail time and a fine. After 2018, such sexual acts are not punishableRead more

If you are subjected to any violence, where you are injured or hurt, you have a right to complain and file an FIR with the police regardless of your gender or your sexual orientation.You can complain against anyone, irrespective of their gender. You can go to the police station to use these gender-neutral laws: HurtingRead more

LGBTQ+ Persons can complain with the following authorities: Police Go to Police Station You can file an FIR at any police station or the one nearest to you. A friend or relative can also file an FIR on your behalf. If you are a woman or a transwoman, your statement will be recorded by aRead more

It is important to get help and support to protect yourself while complaining about any violence, harassment or discrimination you have faced. Some of the people you can approach are: Legal Support Approach a lawyer to help you with the complaint processes or if you have to go to Court.  If you cannot afford aRead more

There are several government helplines, which help by not only giving information, but supporting you through legal processes and putting you in touch with authorities. The following list provides the contact details of the national helplines across India, for the categories mentioned below:  For Violence and Harassment If you have faced any harassment or violenceRead more

If you are facing harassment and violence, some of the laws you can use while filing a complaint are based on your gender identity. Since there are only three recognized categories under the law which are ‘male’, ‘female’ and ‘third gender’ (transgender persons), the laws that apply to you also depend on which category youRead more

You may face harassment or violence on the basis of: Your gender identity where you are being targeted specifically for identifying differently than the gender assigned to you at birth. For example, anti-beggary laws are used very commonly used by the police to arrest and harass transgender persons. Your sexual orientation where you are beingRead more

When you are arrested, you have the right to apply for bail regardless of your gender identity or your sexual orientation. This right is dependant on the kind of crime you have been arrested for: In cases of Bailable Crimes If the kind of crime you are arrested for is a bailable offence, then youRead more

If you are arrested, you will be in the custody of the police at the police station for 24 hours, till they take you to the nearest Magistrate (Court). They can keep you for 15 more days only if they get the permission of the Magistrate. You may face harassment/violence in many ways such as:Read more

You are not supposed to be mistreated by police officers while being arrested based on your sexual orientation or your gender identity. So it is helpful to know the 5 rights you have under the law: Ask police to identify themselves You can ask the police to identify themselves by showing accurate, visible and clearRead more

When police officers want to arrest you for any crime or suspicion of any crime, they may come to your location and arrest you. While arresting you, the details of the arrest, place of arrest, time of arrest etc will be written down in an Arrest Memo. They may: Arrest you with Warrant Arrest youRead more

If the police officer refuses to file an FIR or harasses you because of your sexual orientation or gender identity, then you can take the steps below:  Write a written complaint to the Superintendent of Police (SP) in writing. The SP may conduct the investigation himself or order his subordinate police officers to carry itRead more

When you go to the police station to file a complaint, the details of the complaint will be written down in an FIR (First Information Report).  The FIR has to be filed by the police official and if you are a woman or transwoman, then for certain crimes, a woman police officer has to fillRead more

If anybody blackmails or threatens to out your identity or sexual orientation and asks for money or anything of value to maintain their silence, they are committing a crime of extortion. Even the threat of injuring you in this process would amount to the crime of extortion. For example, if someone asks you for moneyRead more

If you are being obstructed from leaving a place or you are confined inside a particular area, for example, you are locked inside a room, then you are being detained illegally under the law. This is known as wrongful confinement and anyone confining you may face jail time upto 1 year and/or a fine ofRead more

Online abuse happens on various platforms on the internet – social media, chat forums, etc. When faced with online abuse, your first step should be to see what the policy of the platform where the abuse is happening, and what steps the platform recommends for you to stop it.  You can complain to social mediaRead more

If you are facing any sexual violence or you know someone who has, you should take the following steps: Call helplines for immediate protection.  Complain at the nearest police station.  Sexual Violence If you have faced any form of sexual violence which may include, rape, inappropriate touching, stalking etc, you can file an FIR withRead more

When a man has sexual intercourse with you, without your consent, it is considered to be rape under the law.  Currently, under the law, only women or transwomen can be victims of rape or sexual violence and can only file it against a man. If you are a man/transman who was forced to have sexualRead more