Guwahati: An online database that would enable the LGBTQ community of Assam and the Northeast to help pose queries on their sexual and mental health and get legal consultation from professionals who are sensitive towards the issue of alternate sexuality, will be formally launched for the first time in the state soon.

For scores of people of the lesbian gay bisexual transgender queer (LGBTQ) community in Assam, who have been living in the shadows as a marginalised lot, to get access to aid with regards to health and legal matters has been somewhat complicated as awareness about such issues is still nascent.

However, with Reach Out, a queer-friendly health and legal services locator, people from the LGBTQ community will be able to seek help in a LGBTQ-friendly environment.

Reach Out has been in service since April and is available in Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur. In Assam, it covers the four districts of Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Golaghat and Kamrup.

In Meghalaya, it covers only Shillong. From Assam and Meghalaya there are over 20 professionals involved in the service.

Initiated by Kolkata-based trust Varta, Chennai-based voluntary organisation Sathi and Los Angeles-based Grindr for Equality, Reach Out is aimed at members from the LGBTQ community to get a neutral platform from which they can seek health services pertaining to HIV-testing, status of sexual health from doctors who have an understanding in matters of alternate sexuality, legal matters from human rights lawyers and mental health from specialists through an online searchable database.

"The database will be hosted along with Varta website. It is already active in 16 states. The project was started a year ago and is based according to locations. There are 20 professionals listed on the Varta website as service providers. This database is open for all but specifically aimed at people from the LGBTQ community," Shivalal Gautam, who is involved with the Assam launch of Reach Out, said.