La Tortiteca, a migrant-led lesbian dykebrary based in Barcelona, confronted the erasure of lesbian resistance histories amid rising far-right threats across Europe. Their Fight Like a Dyke project surveyed past advocacy strategies to equip current movements with proven tools for political struggle, directly advancing the EL*C Strengthening the Lesbian Movement regranting program‘s goals of building stronger advocacy capacity, increasing political influence, and advancing lesbian rights.
The project centred on documenting “good practices of resistance” from lesbian activists and organisations across the EU, turning hidden strategies into accessible resources for ongoing fights against lesbophobia and institutional erasure.
They began with an in-depth survey sent to activists and groups, receiving detailed responses – 75% from Spain (especially Catalonia), with others from Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Greece, Latvia, Romania and Belgium. Combining quantitative questions with qualitative ones, it captured raw narratives of community projects, networking, emotional survival tactics and resistance to far-right advances. Respondents included cis lesbians, queer lesbians, migrant and racialised activists, cultural professionals, long-time militants and young organisers. This material formed the backbone of the bilingual report, Fight Like a Dyke – Lesbian Resistance Practices Report, analysing participant profiles, strategies, challenges and future priorities, now freely available in Spanish and English on tortiteca.com.
Dissemination brought these insights into action. La Tortiteca created a dedicated project website, developed bilingual graphics and logos, and printed brochures highlighting key findings – territories of activism, migrant presence, current practices and resource lists by city and country. Distributed in Barcelona and mailed across Europe, and via a two-month social media campaign and four strategic meetings with other groups, the materials reached lesbian networks all over Europe.
A workshop, “Archives of Sex-Gender Dissidences,” gathered participants with expert Gracia Trujillo to explore queerfeminist archives from Europe and the Global South. Participants contributed personal materials to co-create a lesbian memory fanzine, transforming archives into living advocacy tools. Parallel team training with La Creatura refined communication strategies for sustainable dissemination.
The outcomes strengthened lesbian political memory and networks. The project made visible under-documented strategies, especially from migrant and independent activists, while creating practical outputs – report, brochure, fanzine, website – for advocacy and monitoring. It built cross-territorial alliances, inspired future work on risk perception and migrant roles in activism, and equipped La Tortiteca with enhanced planning, documentation and outreach skills. These resources continue circulating, ensuring lesbian resistance practices guide movements facing today’s threats.
