Category: News

In Tallinn, EL*C connected with the Eesti LGBT Ühing / Estonian LGBT Association and Q-Space: lesbian-led NGOs advancing human rights and building community in Estonia.

Left: Meeting with the lesbian community in Tallinn, Estonia
Top right: Estonian LGBT Association and EL*C
Bottom right: EL*C gets introduced to Q Space

Right: EL*C meeting with the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication
Left: Meeting the lesbian and queer community in Tartu, Estonia

EL*C meets with lesbian-led NGOs Mozaika and Active Rainbow.

Left: Lesbian community meal with Asociaija Perspektyva Plius
Right: EL*C meets the LGL in Vilnius

Brussels, 11 July 2024

The European Union was founded on the principles of equality and non-discrimination. Yet too many people continue to face discrimination and inequality across the Union, including intersectional and multiple forms of discrimination in all aspects of their lives. In the current climate, it is now imperative that the EU institutions strengthen their resolve to take meaningful and urgent action to address this reality.

As European Union leaders decide on their priorities for the 2024-2029 cycle, we call on them to ensure that equality and non-discrimination are included as central priorities in the EU work programme for the next five years. Only by centring equality and protection from discrimination in this way can the EU truly respond to the key concerns of people living in the Union.

The equality and non-discrimination agenda was afforded increased visibility and action during the last five years as a result of the ambitious “Union of Equality” agenda and the appointment of the first Commissioner for Equality. This led to unprecedented progress in efforts to advance equality and non-discrimination across EU policy making. Progress included the adoption of important initiatives such as the Directive on violence against women, inaugural Gender Equality and LGBTIQ Equality Strategies, an Anti-Racism Action Plan, a Green Paper on Ageing, an Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion, a Strategy to strengthen the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the EU, as well as the renewal of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the EU Roma strategic framework.

At this critical juncture, it is vital that the EU continues to prioritize efforts to guarantee the founding values of equality and non-discrimination, to advance the entire package which comprises the Union of Equality, and to ensure an intersectional approach to this agenda. Failure to do so would seriously jeopardise progress in this area and mark a very dangerous step backward.

To this end we call on EU leadership to take the following steps:

• Appoint a Commissioner for Equality and Fundamental Rights, ensuring the mandate has the power to renew and deepen the Union of Equality agenda and nominating a candidate with a demonstrated commitment to equality;
• Strengthen the Union of Equality agenda by introducing new strategies to address grounds not already covered, mainstreaming all strategies across policy areas andrenewing and building–out existing equality strategies, such as the Gender Equality Strategy, LGBTIQ Equality Strategy, the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan, the Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion, the EU Strategy on the rights of persons with disabilities and the Roma strategic framework;
• Ensure the next EU budget includes robust funding streams for civil society organisations working on equality and non-discrimination;
• Ensure equality and non-discrimination objectives are also core components of EU priorities in the sphere of international cooperation, external and humanitarian action;
• Maintain the current status of the Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality and refrain from weakening its mandate;
• Establish a Council configuration dedicated to equality in the EU and ensure concrete commitments towards implementation of equality strategies by member states;
• Establish a new Directorate-General for Equality and Fundamental Rights therebystrengthening the Commission’s ability to design and monitor equality and non-discrimination laws and policies;
• Renew and upgrade the mandates of the Commission Coordinators working on equality, ensuring a focus on intersectionality during this term;
• Entrust the Commission Task Force on Equality with a strong mandate and ensure it works transparently and in close consultation and cooperation with civil society organizations and networks.

As 143 civil society organisations with significant expertise on equality, and as representatives of groups at increased risk of discrimination across the EU, we issue this call as a testament to our solidarity with each other, and urge EU leaders to ensure that the people most affected by EU policies and legislation on equality and non-discrimination are always involved in their development and implementation.

EL*C is launching a call for tenders for services related to the Research on social media companies and online hate speech against lesbians*.

We are looking for:

• Demonstrated experience with investigation, data and information collection and analysis within the field of applied research and/or investigative journalism; 
• Demonstrated experience in deploying and utilising various investigative and data collection tools and methods; 
• Demonstrated experience in analysing the policies and practices that relate to social media; 
• Demonstrated intersectional feminist background;
• Good understanding of current and past struggles of LBTI women and non-binary persons;
• Strong organisational, interpersonal, and project management skills;
• Sense of initiative and ability to be self-supporting, including ability to deliver under pressure and within tight deadlines;
• Excellent knowledge and command of the English language;
• Good knowledge of other EU languages is a strong asset;

In order to apply please submit via email at procurement@lesbiangenius.org by 15 August 2024 at 23:59 CET with the following documents:

➡ CV of the consultant detailing past and current professional experience
➡ The Technical proposal
➡ The Provider, shall also send a quote (Pro Forma invoice) and including:

• the Service Provider’s name and address;
• its VAT number;
• the full list of services;
• the fee per type of deliverables (in the local currency, tax exclusive);
• the total amount per type of deliverables (in the local currency, tax exclusive);
• the total amount, tax exclusive, the applicable VAT rate, the amount of VAT and the amount VAT inclusive
• the budget should include all costs related to this consultancy, including for example travel costs.

All documents shall be submitted in English, failure to do so will result in the exclusion of the tender. If any of the documents listed above are missing, EL*C reserve the right to reject the tender.

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DOWLOAD THE CALL FOR TENDER: Call for tenders – Social media & online hate speeches against lesbians

DOWLOAD THE TEMPLATE FOR THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL: Technical-Proposal-Template_SOCIAL-MEDIA_hate_speech_lesbians

____________________________________________________________

Deadline: All documents should be submitted via e-mail to the following email addresses: procurement@lesbiangenius.org by 15 August 2024 at 23:59 CET.

Join us for a training module on media strategies and public visibility, designed to amplify the communication skills within the lesbian movement. In a media landscape where voices can shape futures, traditional communication models — shaped by colonial, patriarchal, and capitalist structures — often fail to capture the essence and needs of lesbian-centric and feminist organizations. These approaches overlook the depth and authenticity that our lesbian genius brings to the table. 

During this module, Oana Dorobantu will apply a decolonial feminist approach to dismantle the patriarchal biases in current communication strategies. By reimagining public relations tools through a lesbian feminist lens, we transform these tools from mechanisms of domination into instruments of empowerment and solidarity, amplifying voices that have been historically sidelined. Inspired by the transformative journeys of fairy tale characters who overcome obstacles to rewrite their destinies, this training module empowers participants to redefine engagement and influence. Learn how to build and change narratives that challenge inequities, ensuring every word we share contributes to the movement for lesbian visibility and rights. 

REGISTER NOW

This training is structured across two sessions: the first session will be conducted on 18th July, and the subsequent session on 25th July.

Oana Dorobanțu (they/she) is a seasoned communicator with 15 years of experience across public relations, social media, journalism, and feminist organizing, enriched by a deep commitment to decolonial anti-racist education. At EL*C, Oana has excelled as the Media Manager, social media fairy, lesbian-genius illustrator and ad-hoc graphic designer, consistently amplifying and celebrating lesbian voices through innovative and impactful media strategies.

Admittance open to EL*C member organizations and member individuals.

Secure your spot: REGISTER NOW!

This training module will later be available as a recording for EL*C members. Become an EL*C member!

As summer heatwaves begin to grip Southern Europe in yet another climate crisis year, EL*C is outraged by the storm of lesbophobic comments engulfing the Spanish internet. This wave of hatred was directed at two football players, Jenni Hermoso and Misa Rodriguez, after they posted a vacation photo together during Pride Month.  

Jenni Hermoso and Misa Rodriguez have won the World Cup, the National League, and numerous matches in recent months. Yet, lesbophobic critics responded with absurd calls to “take the scissors out of the locker room” and “shut down” the Women’s National Football Team. Lesbophobia is evident when, despite their incredible achievements, two women going on holiday together triggers such extreme and hateful reactions, including calls to dismantle the national team. 

Jenni Hermoso stands proudly as a lesbian, while Misa Rodriguez’s personal life is not known. Whether they are a couple or not is irrelevant; lesbophobia is intolerable. These attacks are a stark reminder of why Pride Month is not just a celebration, but a fierce fight for our rights. 

Let’s be reminded that Pride began with the Stonewall riots, sparked by the defiant cry of an unnamed butch lesbian who, while enduring police violence, shouted at lesbians, gay men and trans persons inside the Stonewall Inn, “Why don’t you do something?” Many witnesses credit this call to action as that which ignited the resistance that changed the course of LGBTQ+ history. It was lesbian courage, and the courage of countless others, that laid the foundation for the freedoms we continue to fight for today. 

Yet, lesbians remain largely invisible in the broader struggle for LGBTQ+ rights. Our histories are erased, our contributions to social justice movements ignored. We must recognize and amplify the voices of lesbian activists who have led the charge in this battle for decades. 

The lesbophobic attacks on Hermoso and Rodriguez during Pride Month are a painful reminder of the systemic and institutional discrimination we face. This vile behavior is a glaring symptom of the entrenched heteronormativity and patriarchy that continues to poison the world of sports. Jenni Hermoso was the lesbian who was sexually assaulted live on TV by Luis Rubiales, the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, in 2023, sparking an international conversation on sexual harassment in women’s sports and resulting in Rubiales’ resignation after much protest. 

To add insult to injury, lesbophobic comments targeting Jenni and Misa remain unmoderated on social media, while just this week Instagram/Meta unjustly deleted EL*C’s post celebrating Dyke Marches for “inappropriate language.” This blatant hypocrisy reveals the dangers of rapidly advancing technology without any regard towards hate-based biases that stifle our voices and perpetuate discrimination. 

EL*C stands in fierce solidarity with Hermoso and Rodriguez, and every person who has been subjected to lesbophobic violence. We call on the sports community and social media companies to take immediate, concrete actions to eradicate lesbophobia and ensure a safe, inclusive environment for all. We demand accountability. We demand a world where every lesbian can live openly and authentically without fear of hatred or violence.  

In light of the upcoming official visit of Argentine President Javier Milei to Germany, EL*C has signed an open letter initiated by CELS – Center for Legal and Social Studies, seeking to highlight the increasingly precarious state of women’s and LGBTIQ rights in Argentina and urges the German government to respond accordingly.

Over recent months, Argentina has witnessed a disturbing decline in the rights and safety of women and LGBTIQ individuals. A notable and tragic example is the recent lesbophobic attack which resulted in the death of three lesbians and the severe injury of the fourth. The increasingly deteriorating situation for women’s and LGBTIQ rights under Javier Milei’s rule requires the urgent action and support for feminist and lesbian organizations, collectives and individuals.

Germany’s Feminist Foreign Policy Guidelines, adopted in 2023, emphasize that gender equality and women’s rights should be central to the country’s external relations. These guidelines represent a commitment to actively promoting and protecting feminist values on a global scale. As President Milei prepares for his visit, it is imperative that Germany upholds these principles by addressing the deteriorating situation in Argentina.

EL*C calls upon other organizations, both within Germany and internationally, to join in signing this open letter.

Read Letter: CELS Letter to the German Foreign Affairs Office

Sign here.

The rich lesbian history of the island of Lesbos dates to ancient times, when the famous lesbian poet Sappho was born in Eresos. Her presence still lingers in the air, the sea, and the statues that watch over the Aegean Sea in Skala.

In the first half of the 20th century, Italian lesbian poet, writer and feminist Lina Poletti sailed to Lesbos with a group of lesbians, embarking on a journey of self-discovery. Their experiences, detailed in Poletti’s diaries, are beautifully chronicled by Shelby Wynn Schwartz in her book “After Sappho.”

Fast forward to the 1970s, when lesbians from around the world began visiting Skala Eresou, creating a vibrant community that not only engaged respectfully with locals but also boosted the local economy. Many of these lesbians have now made Skala their permanent home.

Photographer, writer, filmmaker and proud “double lesbian” (a lesbian from Lesbos) Tzeli Hadjidimitriou is one of the members of the Skala Eresou lesbian community and an active member of EL*C.Tzeli has documented the lesbian history of Skala Eresou in her documentary film Lesvia, which chronicles 40+ years of love, community, conflict, and what it means to feel accepted.

Lesvia is currently making the rounds on the festival circuit. Here’s where you can see it next:

• June 19, 20 MakeDox, Skopje
• June 19-29 – Frameline, San Francisco
• June 23 EuroPride, Thessaloniki
• June 24-30 – Zinegoak Film Festival, Bilbao
• June 27-30 – Fairy Tales Presentation Society, Calgary
• Aug 1-5 – Gaze LGBTQIA Film Festival, Dublin
• August 1-8 – Lemesos International Documentary Festival, Lismassol
• Aug 30 – Sep 6 Queer Film Festival, Utrecht
• Sep 11-22 – Vancouver Queer Film Festival
• Sep 20-22 – Some Prefer Cake Film Festival, Bologna
• Sep 20-28 – Queer Lisboa: Lisbon Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
• Sep 25 – Oct 12 – Vues d’en face: Grenoble International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Grenoble
• Oct 22-27 Pornfilmfestival, Berlin
• Oct 24 – Nov 3 – Windsor International Film Festival, Ontario

More festivals and dates are announced as they are confirmed – follow Lesvia on Facebook and Instagram to find out more.

If you’re dreaming of visiting the Skala Eresou, don’t miss these fantastic festivals organized by EL*C member organizations:

• Queer Ranch Festival by Ohana Collective – every year at the end of May.
• Sappho Women’s Festival  by Sappho Women Non-Profit (AMKE) – every year in mid-September.

Monday, Georgia’s authoritarian parliamentary majority proposed a new legislative package titled “On Family Values and Protection of Minors” in an unprecedented attack on LGBTIQ persons. Concretely, if adopted, this legislative arsenal would ban the so-called “promotion” of LGBTIQ existence in the media, education at all levels, and public gatherings. This would not only mean that public gatherings centering LGBTIQ issues would be made illegal but also that sharing one’s (own) LGBTIQ identity, informing on LGBTIQ subjects, or even providing the opportunity for young persons to find that information would be punishable by a fine and even imprisonment for repeat offenders. Practicing gender reassignment surgeries and medical care would be punishable by up to 4 years in prison. Even labor laws would be impacted, with the interdiction for public services workers to merely acknowledge gender identities diverging from biological sex. Strikingly, the proposition consistently lumps trans identity and sexual orientation with incest. 

“The 19 laws initiated by Georgian Dream will effectively establish a fascist legal regime against queer persons. These laws are worse than the homophobic and fascist policies that began in Russia and Hungary. They will introduce censorship to restrict anyone who teaches modern gender theories, talks about these theories, and defines their own political and civil ideas.” 

– Mari Kurtanidze, EL*C Board Member and Georgian lesbian activist  

In addition to all of this, the law package includes a new holiday to be established on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia-Lesphobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, as the day of “Sanctity of the Family and Respect for Parents”. 

As a reminder, the ruling Georgian Dream party has been leveraging lesbo/homo/bi/transphobic strategies as part of its electoral mobilization efforts leading up to the elections planned for October. At the end of May, the adoption of the draconian “Law on the Transparency of Foreign Influences” ignited a harshly repressed wave of protests and demonstrations. Georgian Dream’s agenda has been made evident in the organization of public debates and the promotion of anti-LGBT legislation exacerbating aggression and distress within the queer community.  

EL*C calls upon the European Union, the Council of Europe, and international actors to take immediate and decisive action to ensure the protection and respect of human rights in Georgia. It is imperative that these bodies exert their influence to prevent the passage of this repressive legislation and to support the LGBTIQ community, ensuring that fundamental freedoms and human dignity are upheld for all. 

The recent EU election have revealed a troubling shift in the political landscape, with the far-right making significant advances. This development poses a serious threat to the core values of European democracy: equality, freedom, and justice.

This is not a time for despair. Lesbians, we must take this as a call to action. Our unique perspectives, resilience, and unyielding spirit, which make up our lesbian genius, are necessary in this fight. We must harness every skill, every ounce of creativity and strength, to ensure that fascism does not take root and spread its hateful ideology.

EL*C envisions a European Union that is feminist, anti-racist, trans-inclusive and anti-ableist. A Europe that is safe for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Additionally, we want representatives committed to climate friendliness and sustainability, ensuring a healthy planet for future generations. We fight for a lesbian Europe, one where our rights and freedoms are not just protected but celebrated.

Read more in EL*C’s Lesbian Manifesto.

We must rise together in solidarity. We can and will push back against growing menace of the far-right. We must work tirelessly within our communities and between them in solidarity, through every available channel to resist and dismantle these oppressive forces. The struggle for a just and democratic Europe is far from over, and our determination to achieve it remains rooted in our lesbian genius.

Lesbians stand firm, speak out, and fight with all our might against fascism.

In solidarity and strength,
the EL*C

The Strategy includes a clearly intersectional approach that explicitly includes discriminations based on sex and gender and SOGIESC grounds, especially LBTI women. It also contains a commitment to leave no one behind and to achieve a gender-equal Europe for everyone. Crucially, the Strategy specifically identifies anti-gender and so-called “gender-critical” narratives as being used as tools to promote a broader agenda of opposing gender equality and women’s rights, while justifying “discriminatory practices and policies against individuals who challenge traditional gender roles and norms”. 

For this reason, the Strategy adopts an intersectional approach in policies combating against violence against women and in data collection, while specific actions on LBTI women include the promotion of access to justice, actions concerning socio-economic rights and cooperation with relevant sectors and organisations to remove discrimination, sexism and gender stereotypes. The Strategy also specifically addresses the needs of GBTI men for the first time.

ILGA-Europe and EL*C, as the INGO Conference Representative to the Gender Equality Commission and an Observer of the Gender Equality Commission, respectively, worked collaboratively to achieve a strong, LGBTI-inclusive Strategy.  The work done together with Member States and the Council of Europe representatives has led to a Strategy that commits the Council of Europe to address gender equality together with the equality for LGBTI persons and other persons subject to multiple marginalisation. In the current socio-political context and with the rise of far-right and anti-gender narratives, it is key that these commitments are implemented. We will continue working with the Council of Europe and Member States to ensure this implementation in the next years. 

Read more about the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy here.