Despite the reading down of Sec 377 in Sept 2018, a range of unethical MH practices continue against LGBTQI+ people. These serve to perpetuate shame, discrimination and trauma on queer-trans people. This has to stop. This International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT May 17) the following Mental Health Practitioners (MHPs) and MH organisations pledge their support to queer-trans communities. Some of the actions, we would want the larger MH community to undertake are:

1. All MH associations, forums, official bodies, MH organisations and individual practitioners take an unequivocal official stand to stop conversion treatment on LGBTQI+ people. All bodies, genders and sexualities are normal. There is nothing to cure or treat.
2. MHPs recognize that they need to build knowledge and perspective on working with queer-trans realities in affirmative ways.
3. All MH associations, forums, official bodies, MH organisations and individual practitioners use and circulate guidelines that are queer-trans affirmative.

Some important queer-affirmative resources that can be accessed by MHPs can be found below:

1. Gay-Affirmative Counselling Practice Resource and Training Manual - https://mhi.org.in/media/insight_files/GACP_Manual_gYpHDbQ.pdf

2. Summary of the National Legal Services Authority v Union of India and Others judgement granting fundamental rights to trans, GNC, non-binary persons- https://www.equalrightstrust.org/ertdocumentbank/NLSA%20v%20Union%20of%20India.pdf

3. Letter to President, Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists by Tejas Shah https://www.instagram.com/p/CAPlj78gYEc/?igshid=18mw1yuwt6clg

4. Shruti Chakravarty, QACP MHP & Chief Advisor MHI on banning conversion therapy: https://youtu.be/8yex18ghrI8

*Mariwala Health Initiative (MHI)-QACP Certified practitioners have initiated this process, but we see it as a collective campaign and urge MHPs to sign on!