Highlight: Ishaan Sethi and Delta App - The first LGBT+ community app in India
Earlier this year, on August 24th 2017, India’s Supreme Court issued a historic ruling confirming the right of the country’s LGBT+ people to express their sexuality without discrimination. Judges ruled that sexual orientation is covered under clauses in the Indian Constitution that relate to liberty, despite the Government claiming there was no legal right to privacy. The ruling paves the way for discriminatory practices against LGBT people to be challenged in the courts.
The Supreme Court’s judgement read: “Sexual orientation is an essential attribute of privacy. Discrimination against an individual on the basis of sexual orientation is deeply offensive to the dignity and self-worth of the individual. Equality demands that the sexual orientation of each individual in society must be protected on an even platform.”
Cut to today: Ishann Sethi is currently developing, "Delta". India's first LGBT+ app that enables one to meet like-minded individuals, provides safe spaces & access to support & resources. As LGBT+ rights slowly make progress, it is essential that there are resources for community building. Ishaan graduated from Brown University and went on to work in the marketing arena in New York. Prior to Delta, Ishaan was the co founder & CEO of a startup in the marketing & analytics domain.
"It took me only two seconds to realize this is definitely something I want to do. There are two reasons to it. I have hundreds of friends who identify themselves as LGBT in India. As people understand the nuances more & educate themselves, they quickly realize that there’s nothing wrong with them or how they feel. And in my own experience as well, there are many problems faced by them. I realized access to a community, resources and the ability to meet like-minded people was nearly absent and if easily accessible, could really help people lead their lives to the fullest extent." -Ishaan
Delta will not only feature a social way to connect to like-minded individuals but, it will also aggregate a list of establishments that are safe LGBT+ friendly spaces. That way an individual can find restaurants, hotels etc. where they won't face discrimination.
“One thing which is largely missing in LGBTQ community in the Indian context is the lack of access to the community where people can meet, connect or share information. The community aspect of the app will allow users to come together over shared interests, engage in forums and discussions, set up local meetup groups, share and consume content in a safe space online. This is a network of LGBTQ inclusive and friendly businesses across industries – venues, hotels, restaurants, brands, businesses and so on. We have several such brands that have already signed up with us and have become a part of Delta network. These include companies like Godrej, Urbanclap, Kama Ayurveda, the Lalit Group of Hotels, IBM, PostFold, Kitty Su and many more,”- Ishaan
“Let’s say I am a tourist who identifies with the community travelling to Delhi. I know that if I go to the Lalit Hotel, I will not face discrimination or harassment on grounds of gender or sexuality. That I will be treated with respect and dignity as any other human being. Delta network helps me spread this information.” -Ishaan
Help Create India's First LGBT Community & Networking App.
A Brief History of All Things LGBTQIA in India
Follow Ishaan and the Delta App on Instagram:
@ishaansethi
@thedeltaapp
