Growing up with a sexual or gender identity that is different from the world around you is an experience that is hard to put into words.

From a very young age, many in the queer community face intense bullying, restrictions, confusion and rejection. The fear of being forced to attend barbaric pseudoscientific conversion therapies like electrotherapy or forced sex by one's own birth family is still very much a reality for many in India today. The result of such trauma is depression, suicidal tendencies, substance abuse tendencies, anxiety and insomnia. Studies estimate queer youth to be at risk from mental illnesses two to four times more than those who are not queer.

In this episode, director of The Raahat Project and public health expert Chapal Mehra brings out the truth about what it is to grow up queer in India. Interspersed with trivia about queerness, historical references, medical truths, and his own experiences, this episode is a wake-up call to why we need to urgently invest resources to provide 'raahat' (relief) to this community.

Tune in!

Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound mix by Sachin Dwivedi