About Us

DeQH is the first and only national Desi lgbtQ+ Helpline in the United States. We offer free, confidential, culturally sensitive peer support, information and resources for LGBTQ+ South Asian individuals, families and friends around the globe. We want to offer a safe and supportive ear for callers to share their concerns, questions, struggles or hopes through conversations with our trained South Asian peer support volunteers. We are a volunteer collective of South Asian queer and trans individuals across the United States.

Vision and Mission

Vision
An equitable world where Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Trans, and Gender Nonbinary (LGBQ/TGNB+) communities of color, including South Asians, are free to thrive in our multitude of identities with collective care and emotional support. 

Mission
DeQH is an all-volunteer collective dedicated to strengthening wellness and reducing isolation by connecting LGBQ/TGNB+ South Asians to communities and resources that support and promote healing and thriving. We provide free, confidential, culturally sensitive peer support by and for LGBQ/TGNB+ South Asians in the United States.​

Our Values

• We are by and for the LGBQ/TGNB+ South Asian diaspora: as we serve our communities, we are also part of the communities; as we provide support, we ourselves are also healing. 
• We actively listen to and support people wherever they are in their process, including those who do not identify with a label or who are still exploring or questioning their identities.
• We practice consent and confidentiality, and prioritize the safety and anonymity of the people reaching out to us.
• We prioritize accessibility and believe there should be no barriers to receiving support.
• We aspire to be trauma-informed and survivor-centered and affirm the experiences of our communities without judgement. 
• We aim to center the most marginalized in our work and to resist all forms of oppressive hierarchies that contribute to violence and harm, including ableism; cissexism; heterosexism; casteism; classism; nationalism; anti-Muslim discrimination; racism, including anti-Black racism; white supremacy; and all forms of oppressive hierarchies. 
• We are non-hierarchical and value collective decision-making and supporting each other’s leadership, strengths, and growth.
• We are committed to listening, adapting, and growing based on the needs of our communities, and therefore are open to feedback from those we support.

Get Involved

If you are a member of the South Asian LGBQ/TGNB+ community and would like to be trained as a peer support volunteer, or to volunteer in other capacities, please contact us for more information.