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A helpline for lesbians has been inundated with calls - from men.

More than 80% of the calls received by Chennai's first helpline for lesbians are from males - some asking for contact numbers of lesbians while others calling out of curiosity to know about lesbianism.

For 24-year-old boxing coach Aksam, who volunteers for the helpline, it is more difficult to deal with the male callers than understanding her attraction to women.

"Some men call up and say they have a sister or wife or a relative who is attracted to women. Finally, they ask for contact numbers of lesbians. When we ask them to pass the phone to the woman, they refuse.

"A few men ask questions like how women are attracted to other women and how it is to be in a relationship," said Aksam.

The helpline was launched in 2009 as a reaction to the suicide of a lesbian couple in north Chennai.

It is run by Indian Community Welfare Organisation and manned by gay volunteers.

Psychiatrist Dr Vasantha Jeyaraman, who works with Global Hospital, said that being curious about sexuality and wanting to know about something that has not been in the public view is not unusual.

"Some men would get pleasure out of making such calls or few would want to try their luck while some heterosexuals would want to ridicule the women, Dr Jeyaraman said.

"It could be anything but only irresponsible men would make such calls.".

Aksam found support from the organisation a few years ago when she realised she enjoyed looking at other girls in the school, while her girlfriends were attracted to boys.

Feeling scared to discuss about it to others, she typed the words 'girl attracted to girl' and found through the Internet that she was not alone and there were girls like her.

A few years later, she found support from ICWO.

However, not many are able to understand themselves or find a support as conveniently as her.

Uma Priyadarshini, 20, who eloped with her girlfriend from Virudhunagar and sought the help of the NGO, has counseled many women who were forced to marry, but want to find a way out of it because they were not attracted to men.

"There have been calls where women reveal suicidal thoughts because they were forced into marriage.

"College students too call us saying they are feeling too possessive about their girlfriends and would want to know if it is normal."

Since the launch, the helpline have received calls from across the state and also from South Indians settled in London, Australia and Singapore.

At the moment it is only open during weekends when it receives about 25 calls a day.