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.
Georgia’s recent elections, which saw billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream party secure 54% of the vote, are raising concerns about the country’s future direction towards Russia. Opposition parties are contesting the results, accusing the government of vote-buying and Russian-supported propaganda, sparking fears of a constitutional coup. This political turmoil mirrors the recent elections in Moldova, where similar accusations were made by pro-European forces.No Hacks, Just Facts: Digital Security for Lesbians!
We’re excited to invite all our member organizations to a special Digital Security training, organized in partnership with Front Line Defenders.
The session will be led by Dylan, Digital Security Coordinator at Front Line Defenders, on 14th November at 18:30 CET.
We’re likely to explore things like how to protect your organization’s digital privacy, spot and handle online threats, use secure communication tools, and keep sensitive information safe—but we’ll tailor it based on your needs!
The topics for this training will be based on your input through a short pre-training survey, so we can make sure it covers what’s most important for you.
Please help us shape the training by filling out the survey by 5th November.
We can’t wait to see you there and work together to boost our digital security!
NOTE: This training is available exclusively for EL*C members (organizations and individuals). Can’t make it? The session will be recorded and made available to EL*C members.
On October 21st and 22nd, EL*C was in Geneva for the UNECE Regional Review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 30 years after the Beijing Conference, where an herstorical “lesbian tent” brought lesbian rights to the international table.
Every five years, UN Women leads a review of the declaration to monitor whether states are implementing it and to identify gaps in policy. We coordinated with other CSOs and organized an official side event on the main struggles in the region, particularly in the face of anti-gender agendas. Lesbians were at the conference in 1995, and lesbians are still here, monitoring the progress of our rights and ensuring that no one is left behind.
Below is the statement we delivered on behalf of the Holding the Line Coalition, a group of feminist NGOs pushing back against the backlash on gender equality:
The EuroCentralAsian Lesbian Community – EL*C is thrilled to announce awarding 802,696 EUR to support 21 projects dedicated to preventing and combating gender-based violence against LBTIQ women and non-binary persons in Europe.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the applicants for their proposals and commitment to combating gender-based violence against lesbians. The selection process was not easy, as each submission demonstrated remarkable dedication to this human rights cause.
The lesbian movement remains one of the most severely underfunded sectors of civil society, often overlooked despite the intersectional challenges faced by lesbian communities. ELC’s grant-making program combating gender-based violence against LBTIQ+ women and non-binary persons is a transformative intervention in this funding landscape, providing much-needed resources to organizations. Through this grant-making program, EL*C advances democracy, human rights, and equality throughout Europe. This financial support provides the means to ensure that the voices of lesbian communities are heard, their rights protected, and their contributions to civil society recognized.
As the selected organizations embark on their journeys, their collective efforts will fortify the principles of equality, security, and human rights for lesbian communities across the EU and in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Albania.
Each organization brings a unique perspective to the forefront of the lesbian rights fight. Meet the EL*C 2024 grant recipients leading the fight against gender-based violence:
Asociación Nós Mesmas , Spain
The project aims to fight gender based violence through the empowerment of LBTIQ women and non-binary people who have been victims of GBV, by supporting and training them. The project includes providing a range of support services to victims, and also the creation of a support group for and by victims of violence.
Bilitis Foundation, Bulgaria
Bilitis Foundation will research the current state of affairs of GBV against LBTIQ women and non-binary persons in Bulgaria to shed light on this under-researched and legally neglected social anomaly. The research results will be used to establish collaboration with service providers to survivors of GBV for enhancing their support to our target groups and more adequate addressing of specific intersectional needs.
Cure Foundation, Bosnia and Herzegovina
CURE Foundation’s project focuses on the empowerment of the LBTIQ community in Bosnia and Herzegovina in providing direct assistance in the process of access to justice to victims of gender-based violence. The project will train and support new community helpers who will act as bridges between LBTIQ communities and available systems for protecting victims of GBV.
Differenza Lesbica Roma APS, Italy
The project aims to uplift and support LBTIQ women and non-binary individuals affected by gender-based violence through specialized professional training, personalized counseling, and theater workshops. These efforts will enhance service quality, aid in healing, and raise community awareness about GBV.
ERA – Women Loving Women Caucus, Serbia
This project aims to analyze national strategies and action plans for gender equality and combating violence against women in Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, with a focus on the inclusion of lesbian* women. Based on the findings, ERA WLW and its partners in the four countries will advocate for policy improvements to enhance protection and support for these women in the region.
Filosa Associació, Spain
The project envisions a research and community action that aims to bring various actors from the community together who collaborate in the eradication of structural and social violence, especially gender and LBTIQ violence experienced by LBTIQ women and non-binary people on the island of Menorca.
Front d’habitat lesbien (FHL), France
FHL will provide, on the one hand, accommodation and support services for lesbian and trans persons who experienced GBV, in particular for refugees. On the other hand, FHL will provide services also on an outpatient basis, e.g. in cases when refugees suffer violence and discrimination. In addition, the group will also engage with authorities and other NGO actors on this topic regularly.
Institute My Rainbow, Slovenia
Institute My Rainbow will reduce the harm of gender-based violence towards lesbians* and non-binary people in Slovenia through addressing its consequences on the individual level (tailored counselling, community initiatives, self-harm and suicide prevention) and on the community level (tackling gender stereotypes with future social workers, theatre of the oppressed actions in public spaces, raising awareness on online platforms).
Intersex Greece, Greece
The project focuses on exploring intersectionalities within the intersex community in Greece, with a focus on sexual orientation. It introduces a set of activities that aim to support the work of Intersex Greece on GBV and discrimination and empower its members with a focus on intersex LB+ women and non-binary persons.
Kikimora and Kikimora Foundation, Bulgaria
This 5-step project aims to foster a safer environment within bars and nightclubs throughout Bulgaria by researching EU policies on roofies and the depths of the problem in the country. The project also aims to raise awareness on statistics, prevention and good practices in cases of spiking, equipping the staff of nightlife venues with knowledge and skills that will help them keep people at risk safe.
Kolektiv MANA, Serbia
The project will, through trainings and supporting activities, equip youth workers in Serbia with the knowledge and skills to recognize, prevent and react to LGBT+ GBV, providing support to LGBT+ people affected by GBV who do not have access to dedicated LGBT+ centers.
L*-Communio, Serbia
The project is designed to reach out to LBTI women in rural areas in Serbia who do not have the opportunity to report violence, who do not know their rights, to empower them to report violence and help them through the process. The project includes a media campaign through social networks, and experience exchange with sister organizations in Serbia and surrounding countries (Croatia and Slovenia), outreach and support services for LBTI community members, as well as cooperation with state parties on GBV.
Labris – Lesbian Human Rights Organization, Serbia
The project aims to create a society where LBTIQ women and non-binary persons can live free from fear of partner violence and have access to the support and protection they need to thrive. The project will achieve this by increasing knowledge and understanding about violence in romantic relationships, empowering LBTIQ women and non-binary persons with skills and knowledge to recognize signs of abuse and seek help, advocating for policy changes, providing psychological support and counseling services, and establishing partnerships with other civil society organizations.
Les Lesbiennes Dépassent les Frontières, France
The project seeks to meet the specific needs of lesbian survivors of GBV by increasing support through the provision of services (housing, legal, psychological, medical, administrative support). The project also aims to strengthen the internal capacities of the Lesbians Beyond Borders solidarity network by training additional members of the network in supporting lesbians through the asylum-seeking process and through social administrative procedures.
Lesbiche Bologna APS, Italy
The project aims to raise individual and collective awareness about LBTIQ intimate partner violence, understanding this as a specific and invisibilized form of gender-based violence. The projects also aims to improve the services and spread the word about the Lesbian and Anti-Violence Hotline in the community.
Lìberas, Italy
The main objective of the project is to improve the service offered by Lìberas to victims of GBV and to raise awareness among the LBT* community in Sardinia on the issue of gender-based violence. The project will conduct research among LBT* community members about their perception of GBV, and will also include training of Liberas service providers as well as an awareness-raising campaign.
LORI, Croatia
The main goal of the project is to ensure availability and adequate support and protection for LBTIQ women and non-binary persons who are survivors of gender-based violence in Croatia. The project encourages the collaboration of women-focused organisations through various activities such as: national research, developing guidelines for providing support to LBTIQ women and non-binary persons who survived GBV, networking event, capacity building and awareness-raising actions.
Rainbow Ignite, Serbia
Rainbow Ignite’s project aims to produce a comprehensive report on the needs and challenges faced by LBTIQ+ women in Serbia, with a focus on gender-based violence (GBV), leveraging existing connections with private, public, and civil society sectors. The project seeks to provide data on GBV, foster public awareness, and advocate for policy changes to ensure long-term improvements in the lives of LBTIQ+ women and non-binary persons.
Rromnjako Ilo, Serbia
The project aims to contribute to more inclusive GBV protection mechanisms for LBTIQ Roma women and minority women in Serbia. The activities to support this goal are: provisioning of gender-sensitive support services to LBTIQ women and non-binary persons, such as victim support tailored to their specific needs, and awareness raising aimed in particular at creating links and animating communities in the field of preventing and combating gender-based violence against LBTIQ women and non-binary persons.
Stichting Ondersteboven, Netherlands
The project will strengthen and expand the network of stakeholders, including policy-makers, community (LBTIQ+) and family members and other allies (feminist and LGBTIQ organizations) in order to diminish GBV against LBTIQ women and nonbinary persons in a sustainable way. Tools will include workshops, formal and informal meetings, community building, the creation of a strategic plan as well as monitoring.
Transfeminiinit ry, Finland
By reviewing the literature on gender based violence and engaging with the community, the project aims to bring the issues of lesbian identifying trans women, and trans, nonbinary and intersex feminines to the forefront while finding community based solutions. The result of the mapping will be used to advocate for legislative revision and reform.
EL*C is proud to support these organizations, and we are confident that their work will advance human rights within and beyond the EU.
Funded by the European Union, this EL*C grant-making program plays an important role in advancing the fight against gender-based violence. For those inspired by this mission, the next opportunity to apply for EL*C grant on combating gender-based violence against lesbians* will open in 2025.
Become a member of EL*C to be the first to know when the call for proposals opens.
On March 13, 2024, over 60 lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) activists gathered in New York for a strategic discussion on LBQ advocacy and research priorities. The event, organized by Outright International, ILGA World, and the Global Lesbian* Coalition, was held alongside the Commission on the Status of Women. The Coalition, a network comprising the Asia Feminist LBQ Network, Central Asian Feminist LBQT Network, EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community (EL*C), the Network of Lesbian and Bisexual Women’s Organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LESLAC), and the SADC-LBQ Network, aimed to strengthen global advocacy efforts for LBQ rights.
This event was the final step in a consultative process that began in December 2023. A global survey, available in multiple languages (English, French, Spanish, and Russian), and two online consultations in February 2024, engaged over 80 participants. These sessions were essential in gathering input from LBQ activists across different regions, helping to shape future advocacy strategies.
The discussions highlighted key global advocacy and research priorities, particularly within United Nations spaces and mechanisms. Finally, the consultations offered valuable insights and provided the participants with a guidance document supporting LBQ advocates in advancing their causes across all regions.
Download the full document in your preferred language:
On International Lesbian Day, we are proud to announce the launch of the first ever Global Lesbian Coalition (GLC). The GLC unites five lesbian feminist networks from Asia, Southern Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central Asia and Europe.
These are the five networks:
The Asia Feminist LBQ Network (AFLN)
The Central Asian Feminist LBQT Network Anora (Anora Network)
The EuroCentralAsian Lesbian Community (EL*C)
The Southern African Diversity Community LBQ Network (SADC)
The Global Lesbian Coalition has already made its presence felt at the UN and held events on the socio-economic impact of anti-gender movements on LBQ communities during CSW68 2024 in New York.
In July 2024, lesbian activists from all five regional networks arrived in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to support the local community and activists in their right to hold the first Lesbian Kyryltay. This act of solidarity is a clear demonstration of the Global Lesbian Coalition’s commitment to standing together for lesbian rights.
Furthermore, the GLC will actively raise awareness and provide support wherever lesbian rights are under threat, ensuring a strong presence in regions facing the greatest challenges. The GLC will attend the EL*C conference in Rome in April 2025, where they will stand in solidarity with Italian lesbians in their fight for justice and human rights. Afterward, the Global Lesbian Coalition will travel to Latin America to support local lesbian activists in confronting violence, lesbicide, and the persistent neglect by authorities.
The Global Lesbian Coalition is at the forefront of a new historical wave, pursuing ambitious aims with unwavering commitment. It is dedicated to securing global recognition of lesbian rights and increasing the visibility, influence and capabilities of the lesbian community worldwide.
For press inquiries and additional information, please contact:
Today, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) approved the first-ever resolution explicitly addressing the rights of lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) women. This marks the first time an international organisation has legally recognised the unique issues and needs of these women, who, in addition to facing gender-based violence and inequalities, also experience discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation.
Beatrice Fresko-Rolfo, Rapporteur of the resolution and General LGBTI Rapporteur at PACE, stated, “This report aims to make the voices of LBQ women heard, to contribute to the visibility of their struggle for equal rights and to ensure that the difficulties they face are dealt with effectively. It has an intersectional and inclusive approach because this is how rights can be effectively protected. We are in 2024, and we should be able to live together in all our diversities, to move forward and to ensure that everyone can form a family if they so wish”.
The report accompanying the resolution condemns lesbophobic policies in certain member states, including LGBTI “propaganda” laws and the Italian government’s decision to revoke the birth certificates of children born to lesbian families. It focuses on lesbophobic violence in all its forms and highlights the impact of discrimination against lesbians in various areas such as employment, housing, healthcare, and family life. Notably, it adopts an intersectional approach, addressing the specific challenges faced by racialised and trans lesbians as well as bisexual women. Crucially, it calls for concrete measures to combat lesbophobia, protect lesbian families, and support LBQ civil society.
Kim Van Sparrentak, a member of the European Parliament and chair of the LGBTI Intergroup, also welcomed this ground-breaking resolution by PACE. “In the European Parliament, despite the rise of the far-right, we will continue to work to ensure that LBTI women do not fall through the cracks and receive the protection, representation and recognition they deserve”, she said.
The resolution denounces the actions of anti-gender movements, particularly those attacking access to sexual and reproductive rights and those attempting to create an artificial conflict between trans women and lesbians. Kate Osborne, Member of PACE and Member of the UK Parliament, stated: “This report is much needed; it highlights the very real discrimination LBQ women face across Europe and focuses on the worrying rise in Lesbophobia and attempts to roll back on our rights. I welcome the report calling on member states to ensure LBQ women have the rights and protections they need and deserve. I particularly welcome the intersectional approach taken, and we must not be distracted by the fabricated conflict between trans women and lesbians, which only serves to divide and undermine the fight for equality within our communities “
“Given the rise of the far-right in many elections this year, this is a huge step in the right direction towards achieving full equality for lesbians in Europe and a real opportunity to advance women’s rights and LGBTI rights,” said Ilaria Todde, Advocacy Director of the EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community (EL*C).
The EL*C is a network of lesbian organisations across Europe and Central Asia. It represents over 150 organisations led by and focused on LBQ women and individuals in the region, with activities ranging from political advocacy to community building and regranting.
