{{Short description|Indian LGBTQ support and social group}} {{about|the support and social group|the song|Good as You}} {{Multiple issues| {{notability|Organizations|date=June 2019}} {{more citations needed|date=August 2014}} }} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use Indian English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox organization |name = Good As You |logo = Good_As_You_Blr_Logo.jpg |type = Self-funded support group |founded = 1994 |founder = LGBTQ rights activists from Bangalore |location = Bangalore, India |origins = Bangalore, India |key_people = |region_served = India |product = |focus = Equal rights for sexual and gender minorities in India |method = Using support groups, discussions, etc |revenue = Self funded |endowment = |num_volunteers = |num_employees = |num_members = |subsib = |owner = |website = http://www.oocities.org/goodasyoubangalore |dissolved = |footnotes = }}
'''Good As You''' is a support and social group for LGBTQ people and others questioning their gender and sexuality in Bangalore. It started in 1994 and is one of the longest surviving groups that advocates equal rights for homosexuals and other gender and sexual minorities in Bangalore.<ref>{{cite news|title=As good as it can get|url=http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/as-good-as-it-can-get/article1693899.ece|work=The Hindu|date=13 April 2011|accessdate=19 July 2014|last1=Chandran|first1=Vinay}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Peter |first1=Jeff |title=LGBT Culture in Bangalore |url=https://er-sucht-ihn.de/magazin/lgbt-bewegung/ |access-date=23 May 2023}}</ref>
==History== [[File:Manchester Pride 2010 251.jpg|thumb|Marchers representing Good As You at Manchester Pride 2010]] In 1994, a few LGBT rights activists gathered at a local restaurant and decided to have a discussion forum for the sexual minorities at Bangalore.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pravallika: A transgender's death is not sexy enough for us |url=https://www.dailyo.in/politics/pravallika-a-transgenders-death-is-not-sexy-enough-for-us-lgbtq-hyderabad-1691 |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=www.dailyo.in |language=en}}</ref> Within a week, it was decided that the group name would be ''Good As You'', and meetings started taking place weekly.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-09-07 |title=Bengaluru has always been at the forefront of LGBTQ rights |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/bengaluru-has-always-been-at-the-forefront-of-lgbtq-rights/articleshow/65713951.cms |access-date=2024-07-08 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> Samraksha, an AIDS counselling center, provided their office space for the meetups.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us page of Good As You|url=http://www.oocities.org/goodasyoubangalore/aboutus.htm|website=oocities.org/goodasyoubangalore|accessdate=19 July 2014}}</ref>
Currently the weekly meetups happen at Swabhava office. Since Covid-19 Pandemic, the meetings happen both [https://www.instagram.com/goodasyou.blr/ online] and offline.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Niranjan |first=Spoorthi |date=2024-02-20 |title=Pride And The City: Creating Queer Third Spaces In Bengaluru |url=https://feminisminindia.com/2024/02/20/pride-and-the-city-creating-queer-third-spaces-in-bengaluru/ |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=Feminism in India |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mohandas |first=Poornima |date=22 May 2008 |title=It might be illegal and disputed but Bangalore embraces its gays |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/zebCIqmxpVEoy3YLMZrGDJ/It-might-be-illegal-and-disputed-but-Bangalore-embraces-its.html |access-date=8 July 2024 |website=Live Mint}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Maya The Drag Queen Talks About 5 LGBTQAI+ Pro Collectives {{!}} LBB |url=https://lbb.in/bangalore/five-pro-lgbtqai-collectives/ |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=LBB, Bangalore |language=en}}</ref>
==Activities==
# Good As You is patron to an LGBT newsletter called Sangha Mitra (now Sangamithra, ಸಂಗಮಿತ್ರ) which is published from Bangalore.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dore |first=Bhavya |date=2015-11-08 |title=For LGBT community, the internet can't quite replace magazine culture |url=http://scroll.in/article/764889/for-lgbt-community-the-internet-cant-quite-replace-magazine-culture |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=Scroll.in |language=en}}</ref> 9 issues have been printed so far since 1998. A new edition marking the 30th Anniversary of the Group is in the offing with the theme 'An Ode to the Past, a Nod to the Future!' 'ನೆನ್ನೆಯ ನೆನೆಯುತ್ತ ನಾಳಿನತ್ತ ನಡಿಗೆ’. # Good As You helped students of National Law School of India, University to organise the country's first Gay Rights Seminar in 1997. # Good As You also co-sponsored "Emerging Gay Spaces in Bangalore" (a bi-lingual public lecture in English and Kannada, co-sponsored with Sabrang) in 1998. # Various picnics and social meetings have been organised by members of Good As You on different occasions bringing the community closer together.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramani |first=Priya |date=7 November 2015 |title=A guide to talking to your parents |url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/dBcN1Dzc3r3ZNeATRFq73K/A-guide-to-talking-to-your-parents.html |access-date=8 July 2024 |website=Live Mint}}</ref> # 30 November 2000. Presentation by Dr. Shekhar Seshadri on child abuse. # 17 December 2000. Manish leads the first bakery workshop. # 1 July 2001, Good As You members took part in the public meeting 'Breaking the Silence: Sexuality Minorities Speak Out', organised by the Coalition for Sexuality Minority Rights. # Bangalore Queer Film Festival : The annual queer film festival in Bangalore that happens in Feb every year was initially organized by Vinay Chandran with Good As You along with other collectives in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-05-16 |title=Keeping it short but potent |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2011/Dec/15/keeping-it-short-but-potent-320648.html |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=T. N. M. |date=2016-02-24 |title=Bangalore Queer Film Festival: Here's the full list of movies that will be screened |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/karnataka/bangalore-queer-film-festival-heres-full-list-movies-will-be-screened-39305 |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=The News Minute |language=en}}</ref> # Good As You meetings: Thursdays 7pm-9pm at Swabhava. They discuss various topics that effect Queer people in India, from Sec.377 to cultural prejudice against unmarried people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://goodasyoublr.blogspot.in/|title=Good as You Bangalore|website=goodasyoublr.blogspot.in|language=en|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref> # "Married & Queer" sub-group of Goodasyou has queer people entangled in heterosexual marriages. # Film screenings at Swabhava every Saturday 6PM onwards.<ref>http://goodasyoublr.blogspot.in/2014/11/goodasyou-support-group-counselors.html {{User-generated source|date=August 2022}}</ref> # Gay Runners & Brunch: Sundays Cubbon Park 9:30; Airlines 10:30 - 12:30 # In June/July 2015, Members of Goodasyou organized free hugs and missed call campaigns<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://queercollectiveindia.blogspot.in/|title=QueerCollectiveIndia|website=queercollectiveindia.blogspot.in|language=en|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref>
==Support== Good As You provides mental health, legal and moral support. The space has also ground for creations of many other groups including Queer Campus and Queer Reads Bangalore.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Niranjan |first=Spoorthi |date=2024-02-20 |title=Pride And The City: Creating Queer Third Spaces In Bengaluru |url=https://feminisminindia.com/2024/02/20/pride-and-the-city-creating-queer-third-spaces-in-bengaluru/ |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=Feminism in India |language=en-GB}}</ref>
Counselling is provided for LGBT people and other sexual minorities as well as HIV infected people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://goodasyoublr.blogspot.in/|title=Good as You Bangalore|website=goodasyoublr.blogspot.in|language=en|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|India|LGBTQ}} * LGBT culture in Bangalore
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://goodasyoublr.blogspot.in/ GoodAsYou blog]
{{commons category|LGBT in India}} {{LGBT in India}} {{Asia topic|LGBT rights in}}
Category:LGBTQ organisations based in India