Lakshya Trust (India)

Lakshya Trust (f. 2000). A community based organization registered as a public charitable trust in Gujarat, India that has been the center of excellence in the field of sexual health program for the community since its inception.

Lakshya literally means ‘aim’ or ‘target’. As the name suggests, the organization strives to achieve sexual tolerance, gender equity, and help the community members to empower themselves and mainstream them in the society.

The organization works on various issues addressing and advocating the social, economic, legal, psychological, spiritual and health aspects of sexual minorities (Gay, Bisexual and Transgender population).

Lakshya primarily works on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention among MSM (men having sex with men) and GBT (gay, bisexual and transgender) in three major cities of Gujarat State (Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot) .

With 11 DIC’s (drop-in centers) in three cities, more than 179 PEs (peer educators) and a project team of 83 personnel, Lakshya Trust is the largest community based organization of MSM population in the state of Gujarat as well as in India.

Lakshya is also a western zone representative of Integrated Network for Sexual Minorities (INFOSEM), a country level network of community based organizations working on the issues of MSM and TG populations.

The HIV/AIDS related outreach services reaches out to more than 10,000 MSM, female partner of MSM and TG population in these three cities. This work is supported by the local government.

The objectives of this project are to increase condom distribution and usage, reduce incidents of STIs, promote treatment of STIs and lessen STD and HIV/AIDS prevalence, mainstream the issues of HIV/AIDS and MSM, collectivize and empower HIV positive MSM, HIV positive female partners of MSM and HIV positive Hijras (Transgenders) as well as promotion of scientific researches thus increasing safe sex and health seeking behaviors.

The organization is also a national surveillance site for the country for National AIDS Control Organization, which further helps to figure out the prevalence rate of HIV among the MSM population through its annual HIV and STI surveillance exercise.