Author: EL*C

Today in Strasbourg, the Council of Europe organised an event where, in a herstoric first, key policymakers such as the Commissioner for Human Rights and the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe engaged in discussions with leading activists about issues affecting LBQ women.

The focus was on the intersections of gender-based violence with lesbophobia, misogyny, transphobia, racism, and ableism.

Prominent leaders included Lady Phyll Opoku, Executive Director of Black Pride, and Paralympic medalist Marie Patouillet, Dragana Todorovic, Executive Director of EL*C; Anastasiia Gerasymenko from Insight Ukraine; Irene Zeilinger from WAVE; and Maud Royer from the French NGO Toutes des Femmes also participated in the conversation.

“We must have more diverse voices speaking truth to power. In the case of LBQ women, experiences of gender-based violence are compounded by violence rooted in sexual orientation, race, and class. Intersectionality cannot be just a buzzword”– Layd Phyll Opoku, UK Black Pride.

“Violence against LBQ women is particularly targeted by the anti-gender movement, which wants to reduce them to silence or deny their presence in public spaces”– Beatrice Fresko-Rolfo, Rapporteur of the LBQ resolution.

“Not long ago, such an event and such a resolution would have been impossible. We are very grateful that PACE heard our calls, they worked on this resolution and are leading the way. We cannot hope to have good movements or policies if some of us are excluded”– Dragana Todorovic, Executive co-Director of the EL*C.

“Lesbophobia has a strong link with misogyny and ableism, and it impacts my life as an athlete. I won two medals at the Paralympics in Tokyo, but I was exhausted by lesbophobia and misogyny. Before Paris, I made it clear that I wanted to express myself. We need to be represented”– Marie Patouillet, Paralympic medallist.

“We were forced to become a humanitarian organisation. We see so much strength in this community, even though the media only wants to talk about victims instead of survivors”– Anastasiia Gerasymenko, Insight Ukraine.

The discussions were further enriched by Kate Osborne and Lucia Plaváková, LBQ politicians dedicated to representing lesbian issues in the UK and Slovak parliaments.

“I am the only openly queer MP in the history of my country. I face hate; I’m told I’m not a ‘real’ woman, that I need to be raped to become ‘normal,’ and I was even expelled from the Assembly”– Lucia Plaváková, MP from Slovakia.

“Violence is all too common. We must support each other against the horrible abuse we continue to face”– Kate Osborne, MP from UK.

Activists like Irene Zeilinger from WAVE and Maud Royer from the French NGO “Toutes des Femmes”, as well as academics like Ruth Mestre, highlighted the intersectional dimension of violence against women in the LGBTI community.

This landmark and high-level discussion was made possible by the PACE’s approval of the first-ever resolution addressing violence and discrimination against LBQ women, an effort EL*C has been championing for the past two years. We remain committed to ensuring the resolution’s full and effective implementation at all levels.

Disclaimer: EL*C uses the term “lesbian” as a broad inclusive term, that includes all lesbian, bisexual and queer women (both cisgender and trans) and non-binary and intersex persons who feel connected to the lesbian identity and lesbian activism. This includes all LBTI women and non binary persons that identify or are perceived as lesbians, bisexual and queer women.  

The “Resourcing Lesbian Movements” grant-making program, funded by EL*C in collaboration with the EU, is set to make a significant impact on human rights across Europe. This initiative aims to resource 31 lesbian projects through financial support. These grants directly address the chronic underfunding and lack of resources that have historically hindered the lesbian movement.

By enhancing lesbian visibility, promoting intersectional inclusion, and enriching cultural diversity, each grant empowers LBTIQ+ organizations to bolster lesbian activists and movements in their national context, thereby promoting and protecting human rights throughout the region.

This article spotlights six projects that have used EL*C’s grant to create large-scale events, festivals and conferences, as vital points of convergence, connection and inspiration for LBTIQ+ communities.

These events – in Slovenia, Bulgaria, The Netherlands, Greece and Romania – draw lesbians from all over the world, creating invaluable opportunities for intersectional collaboration. They are a place of celebration and exploration of lesbianism, set in culturally-rich environments that spotlight LBTIQ+ artists and academics. These curated safer spaces enable participants to experience, sometimes for the first time, what it is to live and express in diverse lesbian community, and therefore understand the atmosphere of tolerance, acceptance, recognition, freedom of expression, and equality the lesbian movement strives for throughout Europe.

1. ŠKUC Lesbian quarter, Slovenia

Since 2014, ŠKUC Lesbian quarter has been a key artistic and activist festival that celebrates and amplifies local lesbian art, movement, and community. It provides a unique space for lesbian creativity, fostering connections among lesbian individuals, artists, and the wider LGBTQ+ community while engaging with the cultural and artistic scene. The Lesbian Quarter reflects the ongoing evolution of the lesbian movement, ensuring that lesbian voices and creativity remain visible and active in public spaces. Its impact has been recognized with awards like the 2022 “Woman about Woman” award, highlighting its significant contributions to feminist activism.  

EL*C’s grant has been instrumental in bolstering their years of voluntary activism, and was directed toward the organisation’s core team, integrating new members and fostering a cohesive environment. They created opportunities for team bonding, education, collaboration, and mutual learning, through the facilitation of regular meetings, workshops and informal gatherings. This significantly improved team cohesion and communication. These gatherings allowed ŠKUC Lesbian quarter members to understand each other on a personal level, enhancing their overall team dynamic and expanding their capacity as activists for social justice.  

ŠKUC Lesbian quarter also used EL*C’s grant to enrich their diverse programme of inclusive and participatory events and workshops, free of charge to ensure accessibility.  This deepened their understanding of various perspectives, and has been invaluable in shaping the topics and themes for upcoming festivals, ensuring their large-scale events – like Lesbian Quarter and Ljubljana’s Pride – remain relevant, inclusive, and reflective of the community’s interests and needs.  

2. Bilitis, Bulgaria 

In 2004, a small group of lesbians gathered to create a space of connection and mutual support in Sofia. This soon evolved into Bilitis, the oldest active LGBTIQ+ organisation in Bulgaria, and a bastion of education and empowerment, an uncompromising defender of equality, and a creator of community. Their dedicated team are co-organisers of Sofia Pride, and Rainbow Hub, the only LGBTQ+ Community Centre in the country.

Though Bilitis – named after the most faithful disciple of ancient Greek poet, Sappho – have been co-running Pride since 2009, EL*C’s grant has enhanced their capacity to ensure lesbian participation, representation and leadership in all levels of Pride, and the broader LGBTIQ+ movement.

It has also strengthened their capacity to offer twice monthly facilitated meetings for youth groups, queer-femmes, bisexual, and trans and intersex communities. These meetings are opportunities to deepen and expand their comprehension of the intersectional nature of LGBTQ+ identity

Bilitis have used EL*C’s grant to bolster the Sofia LGBTI Community Fest this December, which aims to give the community a platform for exchange, inclusion and intersectional integration. It has ensured that this year’s Fest includes its most comprehensive and inclusive programme of discussions, workshops, exhibitions, screenings, parties and performances related to LGBTI+ rights and feminism, courtesy of artists and activists from Bulgaria and other EU countries.

3. Papaya Kuir, Netherlands 

Created by, and for, Latin American migrants and refugees residing in the Netherlands, Papaya Kuir offers emergency support, advocacy and community to those who fall into precarious political, economic, psychological and social situations as they await decisions on asylum applications. Foundationally, after three and a half years of consistently organizing events and workshop, emergency fundraising, temporary housing for newcomers, and building support network systems for LBTIQ+ Latin American diaspora and refugees, EL*C’s grant created the opportunity for their team to reflect and regroup, collectively exploring their past achievements, present challenges, and future possibilities.

Through this period of deliberation and collaboration, Papaya Kuir held Sudarico Festival in September, a vital event of community resourcing and celebration of Latin American culture, music, art and performance, by LBTIQ+ women and non-binary artists. They also used the grant to start a new collaboration between a lesbian visual artist and LBTIQ+ Latin American refugees and migrants, and two other educational projects. Notably, their workshop on ‘Transformative Justice’ was a crucial opportunity to deepen their capacity to collaborate and show meaningful solidarity with wider struggles for equality, freedom and protection for refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable minority groups in Netherlands and Europe.

4. Sappho Women & the International Eressos Women’s Festival, Greece 

For the past 25 years, Sappho Women have hosted the International Eressos Women’s Festival on the Greek Island of Lesvos. Each September, LBTIQ+ women and non-binary people from around the world have gathered to form community in the picturesque village of Skala Eressos. The Women’s Festival creates a unique destination for inclusive and safer LBTIQ+ travel, and a place of convergence and integration for lesbians of diverse social, economic, political and cultural backgrounds. It is also dedicated to supporting the local community, fostering integration and collaborations, while simultaneously advocating for the recognition and equality of lesbians.

EL*C’s grant has been instrumental in developing the capacity of the non-profit organization. It has enabled the festival organizers to participate in skills development courses and turned a previously volunteer member of staff into a paid employee. The grant has been used to initiate the Women’s Festival’s ‘EmpowerHER’ project. Through a series of skill-building workshops and networking events, it aims to create a supportive environment for fostering personal and professional growth for the LBTIQ+ community.

Sappho Women have also engaged subcontractors to develop promotional materials for their EmpowerHER project, and held a presentation at Europride in Thessaloniki earlier this year. This wider engagement has been instrumental in their public awareness campaign to encourage more participation and intersectionality at the annual Women’s Festival.

5. Queer Sisterhood Cluj, Romania 

Comprised of LBTIQ+ women and non-binary people, Queer Sisterhood is an important hub of convergence, connection and activism in Cluj. With EL*C’s grant, they launched the Lesbian* Conference in Romania, a significant opportunity for individuals and activists to align their visions for a more just and equitable society. Through an extensive programme of panels and presentations, the conference explored gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, relationship styles and mental health. A central focus was the herstory of the lesbian movement in Romania and ‘imagination exercises,’ which enabled them to collectively generate a united, but not uniform, future.

Queer Sisterhood also used the grant to create a project rooted in the mental health of lesbians in Romania. By offering weekly therapy sessions, and traveling to different regions of the country, they encouraged community members to amplify their voices and stories. They found that these mental health sessions, particularly those in more rural comminutes, ignited hope, and fostered unity and solidarity. The grant enabled them to expand the reach of their organization, and build a more resilient community of social activities by providing vital psycho-social support.

6. My Rainbow Institute, Slovenia 

Led by a coalition of social workers, psychologists, mental health professionals, students and activists in Ljubljana, My Rainbow Institute is dedicated to the mental health and psychological well-being of the LGBTIQ+ community in Slovenia. They facilitate and co-create community support by training volunteers to provide peer-to-peer psychosocial support, counselling for people with fewer opportunities, conversation groups, street actions, non-formal education activities, recreational and sports activities.

Their primary goal is to empower participants and service users by increasing the visibility and voice of young lesbians in feminist activism and everyday life, creating more diverse, intersectional and intergenerational LBTIQ+ networks in Slovenia.

My Rainbow Institute used EL*C’s grant to launch their Building Resilience Project. Through the project they organized two international gatherings of lesbians from different European countries, creating a space for celebration and collaboration through their intersectional identities and diverse backgrounds. They also created a lesbian tour of Ljubljana, hosted art workshops and strengthened their collaboration with the city’s Faculty of Social Work.  Moreover, they have engaged and worked with fifteen young lesbians who have joined as volunteers and co-creators of the Building Resilience programme, ensuring the intergenerational relevance of the project.

EL*C’s grant was used to host these Events, Festivals and Conferences, in which six NGOs created nourishing and supportive environments for LBTIQ+ activists to connect, exchange and relax. These points of contact resourced individual activists and strengthened the capacity of organisations to better protect and promote lesbian* rights in Europe. The public nature of these spaces has also ensured EL*C’s grants were used to heighten citizen awareness of EU rights and values regarding the LGBTIQ+ community.

Today marks 1,000 days since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine—a stark reminder that the war is far from over. As the world’s attention ebbs and flows, the people of Ukraine continue to endure unimaginable hardship, displaying extraordinary courage and resilience in the face of aggression.

We stand in unwavering solidarity with the Ukrainian people, especially with Ukrainian lesbians who remain in the country despite the dangers. These brave people provide critical support to vulnerable groups and actively contribute to the fight for their country’s independence.

Let this milestone be a call to action for all of us to continue amplifying their voices, offering support, and standing against oppression. Their fight for freedom, equality, and human dignity is our joint fight.

WE STAND WITH YOU!

Disclaimer: EL*C uses the term “lesbian” as a broad inclusive term, that includes all lesbian, bisexual and queer women (both cisgender and trans) and non-binary and intersex persons who feel connected to the lesbian identity and lesbian activism. This includes all LBTI women and non binary persons that identify or are perceived as lesbians, bisexual and queer women.   

The “Resourcing Lesbian Movements” grant-making program, funded by EL*C in collaboration with the EU, is set to make a significant impact on human rights across Europe. This initiative aims to resource 31 lesbian projects through financial support. These grants directly address the chronic underfunding and lack of resources that have historically hindered the lesbian movement.   

By enhancing lesbian visibility, promoting intersectional inclusion, and enriching cultural diversity, each grant empowers LBTIQ+ organizations to bolster lesbian activists and movements in their national context, thereby promoting and protecting human rights throughout the region.     

This article spotlights five projects focused on advancing lesbian movements through advocacy, research and political engagement in Croatia, Spain, Slovenia and Italy. Each has used EL*C’s grant to expand their capacity to collect, collate and share important information and insights into lesbian existence, struggles and activism. Their findings are shared amongst lesbian community members and networks, then disseminated into the local public sphere, national political discussions and ultimately, international human rights forums. Through their extensive efforts, lesbian identities and rights are recognized, protected and enshrined throughout Europe.    

1)  Lesbian Organization Rijeka (LORI), Croatia  

For almost 25 years, Lesbian Organization Rijeka (LORI) have been working to expand and advance the rights of LGBTIQ+ people in Croatia, while focusing on empowering and improving the lives of lesbians.  

They do so through a comprehensive programme of activities, notably providing psychosocial services to LGBTIQ+ individuals and their families, informing and educating professionals on LGBTIQ+ topics and rights, and organising workshops, lectures, seminars, exhibitions, and publishing materials aimed at eliminating negative attitudes toward LGBTIQ+ people.  

Over the last decade, LORI have found it challenging to find financial resources, both nationally and internationally, for projects specifically addressing lesbians. In instances where they did secure lesbian-specific funding, they often found the amounts too small and insufficient to tackle the social discrimination and denial of the human rights of lesbians in Croatian society.  

EL*C’s grant was a necessary boost to LORI’s capacity to advocate for lesbian recognition, visibility and equality. It was foremostly used to organise research, workshops, lectures and roundtable discussions on the prominent issues faced by lesbians in Croatia. These findings were then disseminated to health professionals, students, decision-makers and the public.    

2)       LesCoruña, Spain  

Focusing on local-level societal change and acceptance, LesCoruña work for lesbian equality and visibility in Galicia’s Coruña region in Spain. With EL*C’s grant, LesCoruna developed and implemented a communication strategy targeting LBTIQ+ women and non-binary people in Coruña, while also gathering data and perspectives from non-lesbian residents. For this first-of-its-kind research project, LesCoruña are assessing the needs of local lesbians, and are using their findings to inform, empower, educate and train the community about key aspects of their lives and rights. This includes, but is not limited to, sexual education, unwanted loneliness, combating lesbophobia in the workplace and social life, migration, the portrayal of lesbian diversity in the media, and promoting the resources offered by LesCoruña.  

They have created vital audiovisual and visual content that reflects the realities of LBTIQ+ women in Coruña and promotes an intersectional view of their lives, with topics including lesbian motherhood, lesbian mythology and the visibility of Galician women writers. Through this public awareness campaign, they’re focusing on breaking gender, class, and ethnic stereotypes, as well as promoting the visibility of lesbians. Additionally, the EL*C’s grant is being used to strengthen LesCoruña’s network by expanding its reach to include more lesbians, fostering greater mutual support, preventing isolation, and encouraging active participation in the association and the utilization of its resources.  

3)        TransAkcija Institute, Slovenia  

As the first and only Slovenian NGO devoted to the human rights of transgender people, TransAkcija Institute were founded to support, inform and empower the country’s trans and gender non-conforming community.  

For twenty years their pioneering work has been of instrumental importance in addressing the specificities and needs of transgender and gender non-conforming people, cultivating a supportive and nourishing community, and addressing legal and systemic erasure from with their advocacy of transgender human rights.  

EL*C’s grant has been used to launch their project ‘Advocating for the *’ which highlights the intersections of gender identity and sexual orientation within Slovenia’s trans community. Central to their discussion has been an exploration of the fluidity and impact of labels, particularly the definition, meaning, and implications of “lesbian*.”  

A key initiative of ‘Advocating for the *’ has been organizing meetups with a diverse range LGBTIQ+ activists. These gatherings have been instrumental in TransAkcija’s research into the historical, cultural, and political significance of the asterisk (*), and they’ve helped to bridge gaps in understanding and inclusivity, while identifying areas of cooperation, including media and awareness-raising work.  

Through this, they successfully launched a workshop in Ljubljana’s Lesbian Quarters Festival, on the intersections of the lesbian and trans movements. The event enhanced allyship and collaboration and sparked trans people of various identities to increasingly embracing the term ‘lesbian*.’ TransAkcija’s efforts are fostering greater solidarity and mutual understanding between lesbian and trans communities, thereby paving the way for deeper collaboration and dialogue.  

4)      Arcigay Rete Donne Transfemminista, Italy  

During the pandemic, a group of Italian trans-feminists started to host discussion groups, workshops and book presentations to tackle their social isolation and to encourage their political cohesion and development.  

From these formative days, Arcigay Rete Donne Transfemminista has promoted the visibility, intersectionality and self-determination of LBTIQ+ women and non-binary people. As individuals and collectively, they’re focused on constructing and actualizing new narratives of lesbians and other minority and vulnerable groups in Italy. Crucially, they’ve developed meaningful political relationships with other women’s, LGBTIQ+ and human rights associations, creating a nation-wide community network of grassroots organisations.  

EL*C’s grant has expanded Arcigay’s capacity to advocate for the advancement of Italian lesbian rights, equality and insights at the local, national and European level. They’ve started composing advocacy plans and a shareable toolkit, enabling them to disseminate their work to other organisations working toward a more equitable and inclusive society.   

5)   LesWorking, Spain  

LesWorking is an international professional network for LBTIQ+ women and non-binary people. Originating in Spain, they are currently composed of 2000 women, from more than 20 countries, and spanning sectors, economic and professional backgrounds. Through conferences and events, LesWorking members – be they lawyers or artists, consultants or journalists – have built a diverse global community encouraging networking and collaboration, media interventions, and working towards establishing societies and industries that include, encourage and invoke the professional, economic and social positionality and well-being of lesbians. 

EL*C’s grant has been used to strengthen the capacities of the LesWorking association, in particular, expanding its communications and community engagement, through organized events and campaigns to promote their work. They are also using the grant to support legal actions targeting lesbophobia and discrimination against lesbians. 

 Through their Advocacy, Research and Political Engagement, these five NGOS have used EL*C’s grant to perform the vital function of gathering data, insights, and perspectives from, and about, LBTIQ+ communities. This has enabled them to expand their advocacy, to better inform policy- and decision- making processes on local, regional and national governmental levels. The grant has also encouraged the NGO’s capacity as watchdog, allowing each organisation to invest time and resources into analyzing how government actions and inactions are impacting lesbian* communities on the ground. Moreover, by publicizing their findings they are increasing awareness of EU rights and values regarding LBTIQ+ women and non-binary people, both within community members themselves, and in the citizenry as a whole. 

Today (Nov 6th, 2024), Commissioner-Designate Hadja Lahbib, faced the hearing in front of the European Parliament, which had a strong focus on her Equality portfolio. While facing some vicious questions from the far-right, she had firm answers regarding women’s equality, the implementation of the Directive on Violence against Women, and vowed to renew the LGBTI Equality Strategy and the Anti-Racism Strategy.

These are all positive signals, and we are ready to collaborate on these topics. Lahbib has responded strongly to questions concerning funding for CSOs, gender affirmation, and gender. We need robust engagement for an intersectional approach to all these policies, and the EU must continue to support CSOs.

The implementation of these critical measures cannot leave behind LBQ women, trans and intersex people, racialised and disabled LGBTI persons. As clearly shown by the questions asked during the hearing, clear political will from the Commission is indispensable, and we urge the Commission to continue showing up for women of the LGBTI community and other under-represented groups.

We continue monitoring the Parliament’s confirmation process and look forward to working with EU institutions for lesbians in the EU and beyond.