Dear,
I was born HIV+, but no one in my family ever told me.
It wasn't until after my father and three of my brothers died, that I started getting sick. My mother took me to a community program where I met other people like me. It was there that I realized what we had in common: we were all HIV+. I panicked.
I realized this is why my father and brothers passed away. I was born HIV+ and so were they. But I didn't give up. I talked to other HIV+ people and together, we felt less alone.
Then COVID happened. The lockdowns in India were some of the most severe in the world. Many of us were left without the critical medications we needed for weeks.
But that's where Ya_All came in. This LGBT+ organization in Manipur, India – where I'm from – helped so many young people living with HIV+ get the critical medications they needed during lockdowns. They helped save lives. I was so inspired that I joined in – now I help other HIV+ people get the medications they need.
Ya_All also runs an LGBT+ shelter that has provided critically needed safe shelter for many young LGBT+ people in the region.
But with the increased demand since the pandemic, their funds are running dangerously low. Without support from people like you, Ya_All could close its doors soon.
Can you donate now and make sure this Indian LGBT+ shelter can keep their doors open?
I'm also a part of the Ya_All community because I'm a proud transgender man.
There are almost 500,000 trans people like me in India, and millions of other LGBT+ people. Even though our criminalization law against same-sex activity was eradicated a few years ago, LGBT+ people in India have very few legal protections or safe spaces. But Ya_All is fueling hope and change.
During the pandemic, the Ya_All shelter also distributed food, provided a safe place to stay, and psychological support to LGBT+ people in need. But most of all, they help people like me find community and have pride in ourselves.
Demand for safe shelter for young LGBT+ here is still high and Ya_All is running out of funds to meet the need. We need your help to keep Ya_All open!
Donate today and support LGBT+ people like me in India!
Thanks for going All Out,Lulu(he/him)
Sources:●︎ India's transgender population struggles with unhelpful hospitals and high costs – RFI, 31 July 2022●︎ Problems Encountered by LGBT Youth in India – Times of India, 12 September 2022
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