1999 Landmark

FORMATION OF SAPPHO 

A love that dare not speak ITS NAME

A woman who dare not share THIS LOVE

A society that dare not accept THIS WOMAN

WILL THIS NEVER CHANGE? …

DEFINITELY !!!

Like it started changing

In Kolkata with

THE EMERGENCE OF Sappho,

A support group of Lesbians, Bisexual women and female-to-male Transpersons in Eastern India.

THE YEAR 1998

FIRE released… both in theaters and in the psyche of the Indians.

FIRE was the first Indian cinema to project lesbian love.

Two things were crystal clear …

The very presence of Indian lesbians …

The very resistance of the Indian homophobic society …

THE YEAR 1999

Far from the fiery war-field of FIRE in Mumbai and Delhi

Six women of Kolkata were eager

To BREAK THE SILENCE …

To BUILD A BOND OF LOVE AND TRUST…

Let there be COURAGE !!

Let there be Sappho !!!

Deriving its name after the legendary Greek poet of 6th century BC, Sappho is an emotional support group for lesbians, bisexual women and female to male transpersons (LBT). Established on 20th June 1999.

Sappho is the first group of its kind in Eastern India with its base in Kolkata and members around the globe. The initial goal of Sappho was to provide safe space and emotional support for sexually marginalized women and female to male transpersons but eventually entered into the entitlement/justice based framework to fight homophobia, discrimination and violence against LBT persons.

During this journey, the core members of Sappho took lead to form Sappho for Equality with a mission to work within a broader structure of dignity, fairness, equality, respect and social justice. Sappho today exists parallel to Sappho for Equality as the LBT community based informal support group.