Anupam Sharma, a postgraduate student from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, is carrying out a mixed-methods study to understand the everyday experience, including challenges, struggles and negotiations, of gay, bisexual and other men who are attracted to men in India, and are above the age of 40. The study has been approved by the institutional ethics committee.

Anupam writes, “Many studies have shown that growing older brings with it a lot of health complications in our community. People tend to feel lonely and depressed, with mental health further affected by ageist and disparaging statements on Grindr^TM and other dating platforms.”

He has already completed the qualitative (in-depth interview) component of his study, with participants ranging from 40 to over 80 years of age.  He is now seeking participants for the online survey, with a sample size of 200 (about 140 responses have been received as of February-end, 2019).

Inclusion criteria:

• Cis (i.e. non-trans) gay, bisexual and other men attracted to men, regardless of relationship or marital status
• Of Indian origin and residing in India at present
• Above 40 as of the date of taking the survey

If you meet these criteria, click here to take the online survey. It will take no more than 15-25 minutes. Participation in this research is entirely voluntary and can be terminated at any point. Confidentiality will be maintained.

Anirudh, a community member, is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in clinical psychology from Christ University (deemed), Bangalore.

His research paper, as part of the course, looks into personality traits of cis LGB individuals. The research study has received ethics approval, as per APA norms, from the Institutional Review Board.

The study seeks to affirm community experiences, and does not pathologise homosexuality or bisexuality in any manner.

Anirudh seeks participants (18 and above) located in Chennai and Bangalore, who are willing to participate in this study.  Participation involves answering a questionnaire that would take about 20-30 minutes of the respondent’s time.  The questionnaire can be administered in English, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam or Hindi.

Please contact Anirudh at anirudhrajan18796@gmail.com or +91 72598 15442 if you are willing to take part in this study, or have any queries about it.

The English version of the interview can also be taken online by clicking this link.