IIMs and IITs are taking their crusade for LGBTQ community online, and it's all being done to teach YOU a lesson

In a bid to spread awareness around the LGBTQ community, the LGBTQ clubs of IIM-Ahmedabad and IIM-Kozhikode have joined hands to kickstart a 30-day online educational series through Facebook.

It is being done in collaboration with similar groups from BITS Pilani, IIT-Bombay, IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Kharagpur, IIT-Gandhinagar and IISc Bangalore.

The first such initiative where all big colleges are coming together to stand united for LGBTQ rights, the series will see discussions on issues of gender identity, Section 377 and transgender people. The series, which has already started June 1 onwards, is being called ‘Queer Pe Charcha’.

One Himanshu Singh conceived the idea with Anoop Yadav of IIM- Ahmedabad, over a casual coffee meetup in Mumbai.

The students said they wanted to spread the message of equality beyong their college boundaries, to a larger audience.

"We know India is a place where sex education is always frowned upon. It becomes harder for the queers to accept themselves when the whole society enforces norms on them. And this can only be solved by education, which sometimes even the LGBTQ members are not aware of,” Himanshu told Indian Express.

Meanwhile Anoop said - “While there are many LGBTQ clubs that are not recognised by college student bodies as one of their own, IIM Ally of Ahmedabad is the first formally recognized LGBTQ oriented group in any IIM.”

At present, the IIM Ally group’s Facebook page which began just a few months ago has over 400 likes.