Rainbow Connections
Reaching LGBTQI+ communities in the HIV response
Since 2009, the Mist LGBTQ Foundation in Pune, India has fostered inclusivity by offering a safe gathering place and hosting community events for LGBTQI+ communities and their allies.
“For a person like me who moved from a different place to a completely new city, finding a safe place to be myself and meet new people was only possible because of Mist,” said Joseph Monis, who identifies as LGBTQI+.
In India, HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men is 3.26% compared to the national HIV prevalence of just 0.20%. One out of 10 gay men in India who are living with HIV do not know their status, and many LGBTQI+ people living with HIV do not have access to HIV treatment.
The role of local partners in reaching high-risk populations
Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), USAID saves lives through engagement with marginalized groups, including LGBTQI+ individuals who experience some of the greatest challenges accessing HIV services due to stigma, discrimination, and violence.
USAID collaborates with community-led groups like Mist to raise awareness and increase HIV testing and access to care, counseling, and treatment.
These partnerships with local organizations are instrumental in sustaining the impact of and accelerating progress in the global HIV response.
From self-funding to diversified funding
One ongoing challenge for many community-led organizations like Mist is sustained funding. When an organization only has one funding stream, it is less resilient and more vulnerable to changes in the economy, the environment, and donor priorities.
“The biggest challenge has always been how we raise funding for the organization. Even to put up an event, we all had to contribute,” said Shyam Konnur, Co-Founder of the Mist LGBTQ Foundation.
Recognizing the need to diversify its funding sources to further support LGBTQI+ individuals, in 2017 Mist launched its first social enterprise, QueerBazaar. Mist saw that much of the Pride merchandise available in other countries was not yet being sold in India and created an online platform to fill that gap in the market, making Pride merchandise easily available in India at affordable prices. QueerBazaar sells clothing, flags, stickers, and accessories while also contributing to the livelihoods of talented queer Indian artists.
“Prior to [QueerBazaar], my main source of selling was Instagram, but when I listed my products on QueerBazaar, everything changed quickly,” said Amal Sanalpillai. “I truly love the platform and have the freedom to reach out to the team with any queries or updates. I received a decent number of sales and good product visibility. The support from everyone was truly beautiful.”
Social enterprises to help advance the HIV response
Given the critical role local partners play in the HIV response and their vulnerability to fluctuations in funding, identifying sustainable financing options such as social enterprises is imperative.
Through the Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project, USAID works with seven organizations in India, including Mist, to build social enterprises to sustain the vital HIV services they provide. In addition to seed funding for social enterprises, USAID provides coaching and mentoring to organizational leaders through the start-up phase, business planning support, and development of financial models and marketing strategies through the use of a readiness assessment tool and business planning workbook.
Leveraging these tools and support, in 2023 Mist expanded QueerBazaar’s online marketplace to open a storefront in Pune equipped with an in-house printing facility to accommodate bigger orders from individual and corporate customers. Today, QueerBazaar sells more than 100 products, both online and in-person.
As QueerBazaar expanded, with USAID support, Mist also began to leverage the platform to link users to resources for HIV testing, treatment, and prevention services, as well as mental health counseling.
Advancing social entrepreneurship
With the success of QueerBazaar, Shyam offered training and one-on-one coaching on social media marketing and online sales, one of Mist’s areas of strength, to other USAID-supported entrepreneurs.
“I was very happy to share my skill of social media marketing,” said Shyam. “I’ve seen organizations truly use the skills I taught and reach out to me when they needed assistance.”
USAID’s work with Mist highlights how PEPFAR programs are making progress to sustain HIV service delivery for LGBTQI+ communities through models of entrepreneurship, self-sufficiency, and empowerment.
About the Authors
Stephanie Marienau Turpin is the Innovative Finance Advisor for EpiC at FHI 360. Michele Lanham is the Director of Knowledge Management for EpiC at FHI 360. Cassie Vasiloff is a Communications Advisor in the USAID Office of HIV/AIDS.
