6 Ways To Conclude The Difference of 'Smiling Rainbow' From Other Competitors

In Pioneer Tournament one of the most popular question was 'the difference of our project then similar projects' and 'the available competitors of our project'. I am giving both answers in a single blog, since both answers are somewhere intertwined.

1. Its Not About LGBTQ+ Right Activism: - Presently all the Indian non-profits organizations who are working on the LGBTQ+ issues they are mostly involved in activism and the members of these organizations are open people of the community. On the contrary, the main purpose of this project is to fulfill the basic needs of the LGBTQ+ community members and the members of the organization could be both closeted and open people.

2. Its Both For Closeted and Open Members of The Community: - We would never ask to do anything to our members where their privacy would be compromised. Any kind of posters, banners, pictures or anything indicative would not be used in both our indoor and outdoor activites which might expose the true sexual orientation of the members. Though homosexuality is no longer punishable crime in India, but amendment in law does not improve the age old mindset of the society overnight. Therefore, confidentiality of our members is our first priority.

3. It Will Remain An Initiative For The LGBTQ+ Community Members By The LGBTQ+ Community Members: - Unlike other non-profit organizations who are working on similar issue, we would only recruit LGBTQ+ community members only to run the project both as employees and volunteers. Because, our personal experience says a LGBTQ+ community members feels more comfortable to open up their hearts in front of another community member and that theory is especially applicable for most closeted members of LGBTQ+ community.

4. 24x7 Free counseling Services: - Presently India has lowest internet cost and as a direct consequence both in urban and rural areas most young people can afford android phones with internet. Our 24x7 free counseling service would provide them support around the clock over phone or by email in Bengali, Hindi and English languages. Presently, all the non profit organizations who are working on similar issue and providing counseling to their clients, they are providing the support for a very short period of the week and most of them charge a fees and that support is also urban based. However, our personal experience says people can feel depressed at any time irrespective of any situation and that's why support should be around the clock as well. It's a 'relationship building initiative' for our part.

5. Free Support In Online Profile Writing For Different Dating Sites: - So far, we have noticed there are many people out there who don't get proper response online, just because they can't express themselves. That's why apparently their profiles look like fake profiles. That's why we would support them to write smart profiles for dating sites absolutely free of cost and it would possibly attract more attention towards their profiles of dating sites. It's a very unique and intimate service we are going to provide to our members as our 'relationship building initiative'.

6. Regular Indoor and Outdoor Activities: - Despite all these free support their will be a certain number of members who would crave for face-to-face meetings with 'own kind' and we would arrange regular indoor and outdoor activities for those members where they would get the auspicious opportunity to 'be themselves' and they don't have to pretend that they are not. Presently most of the non-profit are not giving that support to their members and few provide that meetup support at their office premises. However, we would bring our meetup venues as close proximity of our members where they would have much easier access to our different meetup initiatives.

Initially all these six points that I can mention that truely excludes our project then it's competitors. I would add additional points as it come to my mind.

Please like our Facebook Page Smiling Rainbow LGBTQ Helpline and join our Facebook Group Smiling Rainbow LGBTQ Helpline for 24/7 free counselling and refer your those near and dear ones who are battling against depression.

How 'Smiling Rainbow' Project Would Create More Impact In The Community?

One of the applicant of Pioneer Tournament has asked me the question that - "how the Smiling Rainbow project would create more impact in the community"? I am going to clear that doubt as well.

Firstly 'Smiling Rainbow' is not about LGBT+ activism. We are not fighting for the basic rights of that community. Not because we don't believe in that activism. In fact we know its importance more than others and at the same time we know there are plenty of non-profit organizations out there who are fighting for the same cause. Therefore, another endeavor on that same issue would not bring much help towards the community.

It's an effort to fulfill the basic needs of the community and that need is 'the need of a life partner'. We believe even the closeted members of our community has every right to be someone's soulmates. That struggle may be unknown for the citizens of those nations where homosexuality is widely accepted. However, we should not forget about those people as well who gets persecuted only because of their sexual orientation. Very recently homosexuality was a punishable crime in India under Section 377 and the amendment of that section didn't erase the widespread homophobia from the mind of the people.

The basic target would be creating an online platform where they would get 24x7 free counseling over phone, a free dating sites which would never asked them to upgrade in order to obtain more facilities, free support in profile writing, each and every profile of that site would be authenticated verified profiles and that means, specially lesbian users would not be harassed by homophobic men. Apart from that this site would arrange regular indoor and outdoor activities where they would get to be themselves. For a homophobic society where most members are closeted, there all these kind of supports are truly unique and most of the LGBT+ community members who belong to the developed world might take these support for granted; but that does not change the fate of the developing world.

Our first target would be launching a platform for similar kind of people and building a close knit community. Later adding different kinds of self-sustained businesses to support the livelihood of that community members who are struggling for their survival. We would address the 'needs' instead of 'rights'.

Please like our Facebook Page Smiling Rainbow LGBTQ Helpline and join our Facebook Group Smiling Rainbow LGBTQ Helpline for 24/7 free counselling and refer your those near and dear ones who are battling against depression.

Ensuring The Confidentiality of Closeted LGBTQ Community Member

Since mental health related issues are rampant among the LGBTQ community members that is why recently I have created a group on Facebook to provide free counseling sessions to the members of that community.

So far I have experienced who ever asking for counseling most of them are closeted individuals who are not prepared to come out yet and put their lives in jeopardy. Though I am not surprised to notice that, but I am facing extreme difficulties when they are asking me to become their matchmaker. Initially I was annoyed, because that was not my objective.

Meanwhile I couldn't deny the need of a spouse for almost every individuals and at the same time if loneliness is the reason of depression then any amount of counselling would not be able to bring some changes. Initially I advised them to join the various events organized by prominent NGOs who are working for the LGBTQ cause, my idea was it's the best place to interact with someone from the community and getting hitched.

However here problem is since those people are closeted members of the community, therefore visiting any widely publicized public event can harm their personal and professional lives and that same phobia restrain them from visiting such events. Afterall everybody don't accumulate necessary courage to fight against a social menace at the same time and throughout the history it always remain a gradual process. Similarly, the entire LGBTQ community members would not surface one fine morning. It will take many more generations and by the meantime they should get the relevant support from the society. They have every right to be around like-minded people.

Here most relevant question raised by someone was - "How to ensure the confidentiality of closeted members of the LGBTQ community and what if someone sneaks into the group and start blackmailing other group members"?  After  careful consideration of every possible aspects I could not deny the need of an authentic dating site dedicated exclusively to the community members and I came up with the following code of conducts or golden rules for that particular dating site which will be dealing with closeted community members in a public platform: -

1. Members Should Have Freedom To Not Show Their Original Profile Pictures And Names: - When creating profile for the dating sites or any other social networking sites then group members should be encouraged to choose a profile picture among stock photos which would match their personalities. That advice should be specially for closeted members of community. They can use that Avatar on all social networking sites as well to attract more attention towards their profiles.

2. Profile Authentication Would Be A Double Peer-Blind Method: - Before approving any new joining request there should be a double peer blind method of profile authentication in order to get rid of the junk profiles; where two individuals would take the interview of each applicant member at random time and every profile would be uploaded on the basis of the successful completion of  the review process. This process can rule out the possibilities of unnecessary attention.

3. Key Personal Information of Members Would Not Be Disclosed To Each Other Instantly: - Group members should be encouraged to not disclose key and sensitive personal information to a stranger instantly online. It should be a slow process of knowing each other first. Sharing personal photos at compromising positions is a strict "no...no". In fact that should not be done at any stage of the relationship. Because, these can behave like boomerang if relationship falls apart.

4. Indoor Meetups Venues And Outdoor Activities To Form  A Strong Sense of Community: - Since we are inherently social animals therefore a sense of community is another basic need of these community members. A community where they don't have to pretend something which is juxtapose of their original character. Organizing regular various indoor sessions and outdoor activities could be great ways for socializing  and arranging such events regularly can become a great stress busters for these individuals.

5. Information Regarding Social Activities Only Should Be Mailed To The Concerned Person: - Only the concerned person should get the details of event via mails. Group members should not be allowed to bring any unregistered person as companion with them since it can cause discomfort to other group members.

6. There Wouldn't Be Any Events Which Would Display Any Kind of Indicative LGBTQ Banners or Other Materials: - Unlike other organization that indoor - outdoor activities would not display any kind of indicative banners or promotional materials which can grab the unwanted curiosity towards the event.

7. Sexual Orientation Is Not Written On Anyone's Face: - At the end of the day, truth is sexual orientation is not written on anyone's forehead. Therefore, after all these precautions it would be extremely difficult for someone to exploit any LGBTQ group and blackmail the group members. 

Above all we should have faith on individual's own common sense and we hope group members would not ignore their own intuition about a person. Despite all possible challenges a genuine dating website for LGBTQ community members is absolutely inevitable.

Project:Smiling Rainbow

PROJECT:- SMILING RAINBOW

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

On the basis of my personal experience of different dating sites I've noticed in India people are extremely homophobic & sexual minorities are constant target of unwanted curiosity & attention for many men. Therefore many heterosexual men open fake profiles on LGBT+ dating sites just to ridicule the members of LGBT+ community. The same fate waits for them in their personal & professional lives as well. Though many organizations are working on LGBT+ related issues but none of them address their most basic & natural need of & that need is 'a partner'. In few occasions where different non-profit organizations arrange meet-up opportunities even in those circumstances the fear of social exposure is extremely high & as a consequence many conservative, closeted homosexuals don't attain those activities in fear of social ostracization. Counseling facilities are also limited and mostly available in urban areas for very short period of time and that’s why most members of our community don’t get any kind of help for their mental health related issues. When most of the non-profit are working with ‘open’ members, meanwhile I want to start working with vast population of closeted people. Because, my personal belief is even that person has every right to find a soul mate who doesn't want to 'come out' right now.

·  Basic purpose of that project is creating a 100% confidential platform for the LGBT+ community. In order to fulfill that need a customized website would be launched and each and every profile of that website would be authentic verified profiles.

·   Since 99% people can't describe themselves that's why professional volunteer content writer would provide assistance in profile creation in order to get more attention for every profile.

·   Mental health related issues are rampant among LGBT+ community and that's why qualified volunteer social workers would provide support on 24x7 bases.

To support all these above-mentioned free services and other administrative services financially that project would conduct all the following paid activities on regular basis:

·    Regular paid indoor group meet-up would be arranged where group members would get to know each other and would be able to create a parallel comfort zone.

·    Regular paid outdoor activities (trekking, pilgrimage, weekend trip, leisure trip, jungle safari, camping etc) would be arranged where group members would get to create bond within their own community.

·    Different merchandises and own designer outfits would be introduce to raise fund.

I BELIEVE WE CAN’T CHANGE SOCIETY OVERNIGHT, BUT TOGETHER WE CAN BRING SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN MANY LIVES.

Please like our Facebook Page Smiling Rainbow LGBTQ Helpline and join our Facebook Group Smiling Rainbow LGBTQ Helpline for 24/7 free counselling and refer your those near and dear ones who are battling against depression.