DEQH · DESI LGBTQ+ HELPLINE FOR SOUTH ASIANS
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About DeQH

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.

Disclaimer: We are trained peer support counselors. DeQH does not offer professional counseling services or engage in suicide prevention. 

DeQH is fiscally sponsored by NQAPIA, the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance.

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  • Home
  • About
  • Resources
  • Donate to DeQH
  • Contact us!