One, two, three, four; open up the closet door. But now that you have stepped out of the closet with valour, let’s welcome you to your home. Your bigoted flatmate could be homophobic; your snoopy neighbours might raise their brow in your presence; you may also be required to change the tone of your voice in front of the landlord. Alas, renting an apartment anywhere in India is a plunge into misery. Things aren’t necessarily straightforward in life, particularly when you aren’t ‘straight’ after all.
When Harsha Atmakuri, a young IT professional, moved to Mumbai from Hyderabad in July 2014, he had to settle for a PG accommodation near his workplace. The hesitation of accepting his sexuality in public and inviting queer friends over motivated him to hunt for an apartment on G.H.A.R – Gay Housing Assistance Resource. The acronym, which literally translates to ‘home’ in Hindi, is a unique Facebook group that serves as a bulletin for accommodation seekers and providers from the LGBT community. After coming across a suitable post from two men looking for a third person to share the apartment, Harsha found his own unique space where he could simply be himself. “I feel like I have a better understanding with my new flatmates,” said Harsha in his comforted voice.
What it was…
G.H.A.R. traces its humble beginning to September 1998 when Sachin Jain, currently a Spanish-language teacher and editor of Gaylaxy Magazine Hindi, co-founded a group called Gay Bombay. With initial members numbered at nine, Gay Bombay expanded by word-of-mouth and its first successful meeting was held three months later. The group was predominantly meant for building a close-knit community, while addressing the issue of housing was a wondrous idea that emerged during the course of its growth.
The response to Gay Bombay’s safe socio-cultural space inspired G.H.A.R. which was launched as an E-Group in 2000, gaining popularity among people who were gradually discovering the magic of the internet age. The garb of usernames evoked curiosity in the eyes behind the screen, often giving rise to nuisance where people would mistakenly try to use the group as a dating platform. Jain has since then monitored the messages to serve the requisite purpose of the group, nurturing it at every step to keep up with all the developments in Cyberspace.
G.H.A.R. turned into a Yahoo Group in 2001 where it strived for over ten years. With the advent of social media platforms, it made its Facebook debut as a closed group much later in August 2012. “Facebook presents a user-friendly interface where one can seek reassurance by taking a glimpse of a person’s profile,” claims Jain. Interaction between the two parties made easy by the comment box, G.H.A.R witnessed remarkably positive development through its presence on Facebook.
Sachin once met two gay men who shared an apartment with each other. Delighted to know that they found their accommodation through G.H.A.R., he humbly smiled at them without revealing his identity.
What it is…
Over 2000 members strong, G.H.A.R. continues to grow as a pan-India housing initiative, one that originally catered to Mumbai only. Jain believes that it’s imperative to create safe, LGBT-friendly spaces where people wouldn’t have to ‘talk softly in their own house or clear their web browsing history’ in the fear of suspicion and shame.
G.H.A.R. works in a seemingly systematic order; an All-India database along with a city-wise database is maintained and updated regularly. Members are also encouraged to post their requirement in a specific format to make it easier for readers to filter the information. G.H.A.R.’s annual internal report 2014, prepared by Jain, shows a 17% rise in the number of posts in the group whereas the number of members increased significantly by 30%. The group now receives posts from 15 cities, instead of just 12 from the previous year. Mumbai continues to be the most popular city for housing requirements, followed by Bengaluru, Pune and New Delhi. Cities such as Hyderabad and Ahmedabad also exhibit a rise in the number of housing requirements from the previous year. Every post goes through an approval from the admin before it appears on the page. While posts that may incorporate any sexual innuendoes are rejected, the group clearly doesn’t ‘vouch for the character or veracity’ of its members and holds no responsibility of the same.
The group endeavours to be more inclusive, even though the name may suggest that it serves only the gay community and disregards lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders. Jain agrees by adding that ‘being inclusive is a challenge because of the disparity within the community itself’. Gay men get wider representation in media and are far more vocal than lesbians in the social sphere. Transgenders still struggle to find their place in the community that constantly tries to disassociate with them wheras Bisexuals, on the other hand, remain on the borderline while they place themselves on the mood board of sexuality. Almost all the posts on G.H.A.R., however, hail from gay men only.
Within the gay community too, men who conform to their gender expression, i.e. men who do not exhibit feminine traits on the outside, or are ‘straight-acting’ to put it in more ridiculous terms, do not attract undue attention from neighbours. “People object to bachelors, or even non-vegetarians, to live in their apartment. If the landlords come to know about our sexual orientation, they will create imaginative stories and that will definitely not work in our favour,” says Harsha’s flatmate Mahesh, who was introduced to his other flatmate on G.H.A.R., and both decided to look for accommodation together when their requirements matched.
Recounting an incident from a night, Mahesh shared that his building’s security guard had looked disgustedly at a friend who displayed feminine mannerisms. However, his other friends tried to convince the guard that the friend was an actor and was only mimicking the character of Gutthi from Comedy Nights with Kapil. It’s safe to say that as long as one’s gender identity could be dusted under the mat, settling into a renting house may still seem comparatively easier.
What it can be…
Jain considers the 2009 Delhi High Court judgment of striking down Section 377 off the Indian Penal Code, a breakthrough event for the community. “It encouraged more people to come out of the closet, which should also be credited to media’s positive coverage of the issue,” he added. While the event gave impetus to LGBT activism in India, the hostility towards the community still prevails to a great extent. The Supreme Court’s decision of upholding Section 377, that dismissed the Delhi High Court’s judgement, only proves that it’s a long road to gain acceptance in the society.
As more people openly accept their sexual orientation, there’s also a need for a larger support group that could help ease the transition into the new world. G.H.A.R. plans to introduce an Emergency Housing section in the group which would list out the emergency accommodation providers that can be accessed by group members who are in urgent need – such as the ones who have left their home, or lost their provision of accommodation. “I do not intend to move the group to a new website,” said Jain, who feels that the Facebook group gives a sense of cohesion.
Drawing a beautiful parallel, Jain believes that living with the members from your own community is almost like metamorphosis. It allows you to grow, from the larva to the butterfly, and gives you wings to soar high. The objective of G.H.A.R. perhaps extends beyond just housing – it helps you embrace who you really are.