In 2023, India's Supreme Court left the future of LGBTQ+ rights in the hands of politicians. So we started asking: what do those politicians actually think?

What we found surprised us. The problem wasn't that most MPs were against LGBTQ+ rights. The problem was that almost none of them were willing to say anything at all — in either direction.

The Garv Project spent the better part of two years trying to understand why. We talked to lawyers, organisers, and advocates. We analysed how hundreds of MPs had spoken — or stayed silent — on LGBTQ+ issues. And we built a framework to help advocacy organisations figure out which politicians might actually be movable, and how to reach them.

From that research, we built a practical framework for action.

The Garv Project’s Practitioner Playbook translates what we learned into practical guidance for LGBTQ+ advocates engaging political actors in India, from identifying where movement may be possible to choosing the right messenger, message, and moment.

We also developed a methodology for mapping political opportunity: using public statements, parliamentary records, political context, and data to identify the kinds of political actors where deeper engagement may be most productive.

The Garv Project’s research and practitioner resources were co-developed in collaboration with the Zubaan Collective, with a focus on translating political research into practical tools for frontline organizers.