As advocates for the rights and freedoms of lesbian and feminist communities across Europe and Central Asia, the EL*C stands in firm solidarity with the people of Georgia, voicing our collective opposition against the recent legislative actions that threaten democracy and human rights in the country.
On May 1, 2024, the Georgian Parliament further advanced the draconian “On the Transparency of Foreign Influences” bill, which was supported by a significant majority despite widespread opposition. This legislation mandates that civil society organizations receiving over 20% of their funding from international sources register as entities “pursuing the interests of a foreign power.” This comes as an alarming development in a series of legislative actions perceived to be undermining the democratic fabric and human rights in Georgia.
The introduction of this bill and the simultaneous proposals for anti-LGBT legal changes mark a significant regression in the protection and recognition of minority groups, including the LGBTQ+ community. Such measures not only contravene the aspirations and constitutional commitment of Georgia towards European Union integration but also mirror oppressive policies seen in other regimes, notably Russia.
The peaceful protests that erupted in response to these legislative proceedings have been met with severe and unjust state violence. On the nights of April 30 and May 1, 2024, authorities used water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets against demonstrators, resulting in numerous injuries and detentions. This excessive force underscores a grave violation of human rights and democratic norms.
As a lesbian and feminist organization committed to advocating for the rights and well-being of LGBTQ+ communities in Europe and Central Asia, EL*C stands unequivocally with the protesters and civil society of Georgia. We condemn in the strongest terms the actions of the Georgian government in suppressing peaceful dissent and endangering its citizens.
Call to Action:
Share information about the ongoing situation in Georgia across all platforms to ensure global visibility and support for the protesters.
Engage critically with sources of information and support independent Georgian media striving to provide accurate coverage under challenging circumstances.
Express solidarity and join demonstrations of support for Georgian activists, recognizing that this is not an isolated incident but part of a broader struggle for fundamental human rights and freedoms.
We urge the international community, especially countries and organizations committed to human rights, democracy, and equality, to stand with us in support of the Georgian people against this regression. We call on all parties to prioritize the safety and rights of all individuals, especially those who are most vulnerable.
Together, we can help ensure that Georgia remains on a path towards progress and integration with the European Union, reflecting the true will of its people, rather than succumbing to autocratic influences that seek to divide societies and suppress freedoms.
For freedom and solidarity,
EL*C
- L-HEALTH is a European consortium which seeks to promote excellent clinical practice for all the people, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity
- Friday, April 26 is Lesbian Visibility Day
EL*C joins the Institut d’Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol (IDIAPJGol), which is coordinating the L-HEALTH project, a European-wide initiative whose main objective is to identify the health inequalities suffered by lesbians in the primary care services. The project is promoted by a consortium with the same name made up of five entities, including research centres, non-profit organizations and lesbian associations. This week, they have met at the headquarters of the IDIAPJGol to start the project.
The starting point of L-HEALTH is to build a database of lesbians treated in primary care services, given that this information is not collected in the documentary systems used to record the population’s clinical information. Subsequently, the health status of the lesbians included in the database will be compared with a random sample of the general population. The second objective of the project is to find out the lack of knowledge and the attitudes of the primary care professionals when it comes to caring for lesbian women.
The study uses a qualitative methodology that aims to identify the health needs of lesbian women and the discrimination they have suffered in the health field by health professionals. The research also aims to explore the stereotypes, attitudes, and knowledge gaps of health professionals in the care of lesbian women.
Training program
The findings of the study will serve to design a training program for health professionals that improves their awareness and knowledge of lesbian health and promotes excellent clinical practice for all, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender or identity of gender.
L-HEALTH is a project funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) program of the European Union. With a budget of nearly 420,000 euros, it was launched in December 2023 and will last for two years. Its coordinators are IDIAPJGol researchers Anna Ponjoan and Constanza Jacques.
Structural masculinity
Dr. Ponjoan reports that “Lesbians have traditionally been invisible, both in clinical practice and in research, mainly because of structural masculinity and lesbophobia.” In this sense, L-HEALTH “intends to contribute to reducing stigma and discrimination, which are still present in primary care teams, where the heteronormativity of patients is assumed”.
In addition to the IDIAPJGol, the L-HEALTH consortium is participated by the Biomedical Research Institute of Girona (IDIBGI), the Public Health Agency of Barcelona (ASPB), the Spanish NGO SIDA Studi, dedicated to the promotion of sexual health, and the intersectional lesbian and feminist network EL*C.
Kick off
The project started with a first face-to-face meeting that has taken place at the IDIAPJGol headquarters on Monday, April 22. This meeting has coincided with Lesbian Visibility Week, which will culminate on April 26 with the celebration of Lesbian Visibility Day.
During this first meeting, the five partners presented the goals of the project and established its scope and planning.
Recently the Kazakhstan government discussed three amendments on
- “Legislative Acts on Mass Media Issues” to ban media outlets if they publish “propaganda of non-traditional relationships” and
- amendments in “Law on Peaceful Assemblies” to include “propaganda of non-traditional relationships” as a ground for rejection to sanction peaceful meetings by local city authorities and
- in particular the proposal to extend Criminal Code Article 174, which deals with “inciting social, national, racial, class or religious hatred,” to include “promotion of non-traditional sexual relationships.”
On April 17th, this proposal on Mass Media obtained the majority in the Kazakhstan Parliament Low Chamber and passed to the Senate. The text of the law with amendments submitted to the Senate was not published violating procedure.
The LGBTIQ community, alongside allies and fellow citizens of Kazakhstan, are deeply concerned, alarmed, and want to challenge this decision.
This decision by the Kazakh parliament comes at a time when the country faces pressing issues, such as devastating floods in 10 regions that have resulted in significant loss of homes, lives, and livestock. Yet rather than addressing these vital needs, some deputies are focusing on measures that not only distract the public opinion from critical emergencies but also infringe on constitutional protections.
The current legal situation in Kazakhstan for LGBTI persons is the following:
According to Article 14 of the Kazakh Constitution, discrimination is prohibited, which implies the constitutional violations posed by these amendments. Moreover, Kazakhstan supported the 2020 Universal Periodic Review recommendation to guarantee an enabling environment for civil society activities, activist groups and human rights defenders of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. These changes to laws directly undermine this commitment.
These legislative changes are being justified by referencing Article 1 of the Code on Marriage and Family, which defines marriage strictly as a union between a man and a woman. This definition is used to label the LGBTIQ community as a threat to family values. Similarly, proposed amendments to the law on public assemblies would allow local authorities to deny permits for events that involve “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations.”
The amendment proposals reflect a troubling trend towards limiting the rights of the LGBTIQ community, including their right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, as protected under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Kazakhstan ratified in 2006. – Ilaria Todde, Director of Advocacy for EL*C – EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community
Past legislative efforts have targeted and eroded the LGBTIQ community rights. In 2018, discussions around the “Law on the Protection of Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development” included discriminatory clauses against LGBTIQ individuals, and similar provisions were included when the law was adopted in 2015. Additionally, in February 2024, the educational website Selftanu.kz for queer teenagers was blocked by the State, which contradicts the constitutional right to disseminate information freely.
This year, new restrictions have been introduced that prevent LGBTIQ individuals from adopting children or becoming their mentors, enforced by a controversial “special psychological test.”
We urge global support for the LGBTIQ community in Kazakhstan to counter these discriminatory practices. The community faces legal and societal challenges, but with international support, we can fight these injustices. Actions such as making public statements, writing letters to MPs or State stakeholders, or sharing supportive posts can make a difference. Together, we can stand against these oppressive measures and uphold the democratic values enshrined in Kazakhstan’s constitution. United we can prevent another country from falling into the anti propaganda realm.
For further information or to show support, please contact us at kazfeminita@gmail.com.
We are excited to invite you to an extraordinary on-line training Odyssey, set to propel your human resource management skills into the cosmos.
When: Thu, 11 April at 06:00 PM CET
Where: Zoom (register now)
Who: Silvia Casalino (space engineer and EL*C Co-Director) & Anastasiia Danilova (EL*C Community Engagement Manager)
For Whom: EL*C Members (organizations and individuals)
Prepare your spacecraft for a journey through the nebula of NGO management, where you will join fellow astronauts in dissecting the core of Team Management. Our mission will explore the following celestial bodies:
- Analyzing the Essence of Team Management: Delve into the gravitational force that holds a team together, ensuring a harmonious orbit around organizational goals.
- Navigating through Asteroid Fields: Identify the main challenges in the galaxy of HR management and devise strategic maneuvers to navigate through these potentially hazardous conditions.
- Architects of the Stars: Examine the different structures of NGO galaxies and the decision-making processes that guide them, ensuring your organization’s trajectory aligns with its mission.
- Peaceful Coexistence Among Cosmic Entities: Master the art of conflict resolution, ensuring that all beings within your space can coexist peacefully and contribute to the collective mission.
On this journey you will be accompanied by an spaceship captain, the Executive Co-dykerector of EL*C and space engineer (it is not a joke) Silvia Casalino, and a navigator with 13 years of experience in organizational management, EL*C Community Engagement Manager, Anastasia Danilova.
Secure your spot on this spaceship by enlisting today, and prepare to elevate your capabilities to cosmic proportions on 11 of April at 18: 00 CET
[REGISTRATION]
We, the undersigned equality and anti-discrimination organisations, call on the European Union’s leaders and European Institutions to ensure equality, anti-racism, and fundamental rights are a priority during the next legislative mandate.
We noted the advances in Equality which have been made by the European Union during this mandate. The appointment of the first-ever Commissioner for Equality was a welcome and much-needed initiative. It has shown that the European Commission is committed to advancing the values of equality enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union and to its duties under Article 10 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Equality and non-discrimination policies and initiatives became more visible and were addressed through several proposals such as standards for equality bodies, a Directive to combat violence against women, a legislative proposal on the European Disability Card and Parking Card, the action plan against racism, and a proposal for cross-border recognition of parental rights. These initiatives were coupled with strategies on gender equality, LGBTIQ and disability, as well as the EU Roma strategic framework and a Green Paper on Ageing.
However, the EU is far from being a Union of Equality- this is a work in progress, and right now, we witness rising backlash, racial injustice, inequality and discrimination. This needs urgent attention both at the EU and national levels.
For this, we specifically call on the European Union to put in place comprehensive legal protection against discrimination in the EU. We need to guarantee equality of treatment regardless of who you are or where you live in the European Union.
We also call on specific actions to guarantee that the European Union’s Institutions have adequate resources and staffing to prioritise and mainstream equality and non-discrimination, with special attention to vulnerable groups and intersectional discrimination:
- Appoint an EU Commissioner with a strong mandate for Equality and Fundamental Rights.
- Strengthen the European Commission’s services working on equality, non-discrimination and anti-racism, especially by establishing a new Directorate-General for Equality and Fundamental Rights.
- Revise and introduce strong strategies on all grounds under the Equality Framework beyond 2025 and ensure their mainstreaming in all policy areas.
- Ensure that the Equality Task Force has a strong mandate to ensure cooperation between different services on the implementation of the Equality Frameworks and that it works transparently and in close consultation and cooperation with European Equality networks.
- Host an annual “Equality Forum,” gathering policymakers, civil society, and other interested actors to evaluate and develop initiatives for realising a Union of Equality. The Forum should focus particularly on intersectional equality.
- Create an EU Council formation on Equality.
- Ensure the next EU budget properly funds civil society organisations working on equality, non-discrimination and anti-racism.
- Ensure discrimination is also addressed in the work of the EU in external action, international cooperation and humanitarian action.
We remind leaders that all initiatives must meaningfully involve equality organisations, anti-racism organisations and organisations representing the groups most subject to discrimination.
It is essential that the Union’s decision-making process is transparent, and organisations are properly resourced and supported to guarantee their active involvement.
It is also fundamental to ensure that staff working at the EU Institutions properly reflects the European population, not only in terms of nationality but also in terms of diversity of gender, race, ethnic or social origin, membership of a national minority, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and variations of sex characteristics. We call on specific action to ensure it and to guarantee training to all staff training on equality and non-discrimination.
Only by working together will the European Union truly become a Union of Equality that reflects its motto of “United in Diversity”.
The undersigned organisations remain committed to supporting the European Institutions in achieving this crucial objective.
Signatories
European Network Against Racism
EL*C – EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community
Additional Information
Organisations’ work on the European elections: ·
- European Disability Forum: “Building an inclusive future for persons with disabilities in the EU”
- ILGA Europe: “Come out 4 Europe”
- AGE Platform Europe: AGE Manifesto for the 2024 European Parliament elections
- European Network Against Racism: “A Europe for All”
- ERGO Network: “End Racism to build a stronger Europe”
The EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community (EL*C), the main organization dedicated to the rights of lesbians across Europe, is happy to share news of a significant legal victory in Italy. The Italian court has decisively rejected an attempt to remove non-biological mothers from their children’s birth certificates in Padua. This attempt, made by the local Prosecutor’s Office and requested by the Italian far right government, aimed to challenge the recognition of lesbian couples as both being legal mothers of their children. This court decision is a big win for lesbians, ensuring that non-biological mothers remain recognized on their children’s birth certificates, preserving their rights and their family’s integrity.
This victory follows the “Lesbians are Mothers Too” campaign launched by EL*C, which sparked widespread support across Europe and supported the efforts of the Italian lesbian movement addressing this issue. The campaign led to protests in over 14 European cities, showing a strong community response against the unfair treatment of lesbian mothers in Italy.
Although we celebrate this win, we are aware that the situation could change. The Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Interior have ten days to challenge this decision. EL*C is attentively monitoring developments and stands ready to continue our unwavering support for the lesbian movement in Italy.
Just after their defeat, the Italian government, following the well know pattern of far-right politics, is targeting trans individuals. EL*C stands committed to supporting full self-determination rights for trans people, as part of our ongoing fight for the full equality in rights and opportunities.
This victory is a clear sign that we, lesbian activists and feminists, can defeat the far-right. They will find us united and resilient at every step they take to oppress our lives and deny our existences. EL*C will keep supporting the LGBTQ+ community in Italy and across Europe, advocating for equality and justice.
This Valentine’s Day, EL*C is spotlighting the power of love through our inclusive collection of lesbian Valentine’s Day cards, each designed to celebrate the revolutionary essence of lesbian love. In a world where our affections are often marginalized, these cards serve bold statements of visibility and pride. They are reminders that lesbian love, in all its forms, is a revolutionary act—defiant in its existence and beautiful in its expression.
Crafted with care, these cards carry messages that resonate with the depth and resilience of our community. They are a celebration of the love that dares to speak its name, to stand tall against adversity, and to flourish against the odds. This Valentine’s Day, let’s embrace the revolutionary spirit of lesbian love with EL*C’s unique cards, featuring Audre Lorde, Christine and the Queens, June Jordan, Sappho, Leslie Feinberg, Joelle Sambi, Iulia Hasdeu, Jeanette Winterson and bell hooks.
Download and use them freely!
The EU Institutions agreed on the text of the new Directive on Violence against Women but Member States managed to exclude criminalisation of rape based on consent and explicit mention of LBTI women.
The text produced by the European Commission and especially the position of the European Parliament were excellent, proposing a harmonization of EU law in line with the Istanbul Convention. From the information available, the Council’s position and in particular the intervention of Member States such as France and Germany meant the deletion of Article 5 which provided a definition of rape based on consent. During the press conference, the Parliament negotiators expressed their surprise and disappointment at the fact that Member States were uncomfortable opening a conversation on consent. As they mention, a cultural change is urgently needed.
Explicit mentions of LBTI women appear to have also been deleted from the text, creating possible legal loopholes and contradictions with the Istanbul convention. In substance, Member States tried to ensure to themselves the possibility of excluding LBTI women from the implementation of this Directive.
The result of the negotiations is that this Directive will now criminalise forms of cyberviolence, female genital mutilation and forced marriage. It is very important that there is EU legislation on these heinous crimes. However, it is an indication of the strong intersections between racism and misogyny that, while Member States found “uncomfortable” the conversation around consent, they did not flinch in criminalising acts that are perceived as belonging to “other” communities.
It is disappointing that the EU missed this opportunity to protect women, in all their diversity, from some of the most serious forms of gender-based violence. But as the feminists say: the fight goes on. We will work on the implementation, we will work with our members to ensure that LBTI women are not left out. We continue to fight for better prevention, protection and access to justice for all victims and survivors no matter their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics.
You can watch/listen to this text on our social media: Facebook || Instagram || TikTok || Threads
As the 2023 ends, we want to mark our sorrows and our joys, our pains and our pleasure, our playfully intertangled year of lesbian activism as raging dykes.
We began softly with a staff meeting in the motherland, Lesbos, and continued fiercely as we dived deep into issues affecting our elders and brought lesbophobia to light through our research. Over 50 new lesbian organizations joined our cause as EL*C members, strengthening our ranks – welcome everyone!
Our voices echoed across social media as our lesbian visibility day video went viral on TikTok.
40 lesbian activists are now ready to change the world after our Annual Study Visit to the Council of Europe. Next stop, Brussels! – will you join us in 2024? – Apply now!
60 lesbians from Europe and Central Asia came together to scheme and plot the future of the lesbian movement during our first ever Lesbian Summit. No, we unfortunately didn’t have a hedonistic lesbian orgy, we’ll try again next time.
Kazakhstan gears up for its first lesbian conference! And we loved meeting the fresh dyke voices of Central Asia during our field visit.
We got most of what we asked for in the VAW directive: LBTI women included in the binding provisions, corrective rape as aggravating circumstance, intersex genital mutilation criminalized. BUT the directive isn’t perfect and we joined hands and forces with WAVE, HRW, Amnesty, TGEU, OII and more to get the EU to improve it.
Speaking of collabs, we never fight alone and our collaborators know this. A huge thank you and a grateful “we are in this together forever” to our donors, funders, collaborators, allies and to you, our members – Thank you for trusting us!
We showed the far right that we won’t back down by going out in the thousands in 17 cities across Europe and surprisingly in Mexico City in support of Italian lesbian mothers fighting against blatant governmental lesbophobia. Together we said #LesbiansAreMothersToo with our full chests and our wallets – The fundraiser is still going, click here if you want to participate.
We said no to lesbophobia in Romania and you helped us go viral a second time this year, where lesbophobia was for the first time ever discussed during prime time news. And the pressure worked! The equality body is deciding on the case soon.
We opened the EL*C grants program for our NGO members in the EU and while we managed to fund 31 initiatives across the EU. And we’re coming back for the rest of you – 2 more EL*C grants programs are coming next year and we’re plotting and scheming for more. The lesbian revolution will be fully funded and EL*C will make this a reality.
We empowered 150 dykes in Lesbian Archives, Fundraising and Financial Management. Being an EL*C member really has its perks . If this seduces you, click here to become an EL*C member, we want to satisfy your activist desires. And there’s 6 more trainings coming next year, get be ready to lesbianize the world, ladies, enbies, genderfkrs, intersexy beasts and beyond humans dykes!
We ended the year wrecking havoc in EU politics: we put together all the brave raging feminists who said NO! to sexual and sexist violence in the public sphere and made #MeTooEU a reality – the event was so empowering, you just have to watch it over and over again until you realize the phenomenal lesbian genius in you!
We fight together and our lesbian love will win. Revolution starts with us.
2024, we hope you’re ready for the lesbians cause we’re coming, baby! Nothing can stop us. Will you join our lesbian revolution?
After 2 successful editions in Brussels and Strasbourg, EL*C annual study visit is making a comeback! We are excited to invite 20 EL*C members in Brussels from the April 16 to 18. You’ll be happy to know that your accommodation, travel expenses reimbursementand meals during those 3 days are all provided by EL*C (note: we don’t cover meals during your travel).
[ APPLY HERE ]
This year, we’re diving into the vital topic of the upcoming European elections. The conversation will focus on how to use electoral opportunities to advocate for lesbian rights at local, national and European level. and how to ensure that future Member of the European Parliament are lesbian geniuses or lesbian allies!
We have carefully planned out 3 days of discussions about lesbian activism, advocacy, political communication and networking. You will also get to learn more about inner workings of the European Parliament and the role that civil society can play in the upcoming elections. Plus, this study visit is a fantastic chance to meet and network with policymakers and allies as well as with the lesbians in town – it’s going to be a blast!
Please be aware that we will consider only one application per EL*C member organisation. Individual members are also welcomed to apply. Application are open only to EL*C members from the EU. In case more than 20 applications are received, we’ll be selecting a diverse and inclusive group that represents a wide array of geographic, cultural, and political backgrounds, as well as a variety of lesbian experiences across gender, race, ethnicity, age, ability, migration status, and more.
The program will be held in English, but you don’t need a perfect level of language to participate. If, however, language would be a barrier for you, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
Can’t wait to see you there!
In order to apply please complete this form by the 8 January 2024:
[ APPLY HERE ]