Artwork text: Blackmailer alert: Possible signs to be alert about: He knows about your family, where you stay, where you work, who your friends are, but you have only a phone number or online profile of him; he has your intimate pictures or videos, but doesn’t reciprocate; he pulls at your heart strings with a sob story but pulls away when you ask for the money you lent; he is this unknown character – if you do a check, nobody in community circles seems to know him; he stays away from places and events where a lot of people might see him; he makes homophobic, transphobic or biphobic comments while chatting online or appears to be aggressive in his communication. Indian law no longer penalizes consensual non penile-vaginal sex among adults in private. Section 377, IPC applies to non penile-vaginal sex only if there is force involved. But extortion under all circumstances is punishable (Sections 384, 506). Victims of blackmail should talk about it and report it. QFLN - West Bengal / Varta Trust can provide legal aid support. Forewarned is forearmed and sexy! For more safety tips and where to contact for help, see below. Text is accompanied with a sketch of a man's face with a stricken look and mouth shut, symbolizing the fear of a victim of blackmail. The mouth is covered with a text box that says "For male-to-male online dating". Artwork credit: Pawan Dhall, Rudra Kishore Mandal

Artwork text: Safety tips: If possible, avoid posting a direct picture of your face on dating sites – try using a picture that represents you in a different way like one related to your hobbies or personality; consider meeting only friends of friends – before you meet someone, you could verify that they are known to another trusted friend or are a friend-of-a-friend; first get to know someone better by meeting over Skype or in a safe location, a community-friendly café or any other place 'you' are comfortable with – sharing your home address can be risky; let a friend know where you’re meeting just in case – it’s always a good idea to have people know where you’ve gone; when first meeting someone, take as little with you as you can – don't take your credit or debit cards – just enough cash and a key identity document or two; don’t encourage your date to bring a ‘friend’; when on a date, take your time and pull back whenever you feel it is getting uncomfortable for you; get tested regularly for STIs and HIV – always have conversations with the guys you meet about your safety expectations; for more information and help, write to vartablog@gmail.com. Confidentiality assured. Compiled by Queer Friendly Lawyers Network / Varta Trust with inputs from Grindr
Text updated after Section 377, Indian Penal Code was read down by the Honourable Supreme Court of India on September 6, 2018. The revised Section 377 applied to non penile-vaginal sex only if there was force involved. Unfortunately, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which replaced the Indian Penal Code on July 1, 2024, there is no corresponding provision to penalize situations like same-sex sexual assault – Editor.

Blackmailer alert artwork credit: Rudra Kishore Mandal and Pawan Dhall

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