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.
Join us for an online advocacy training exclusively for EL*C members on October 8th at 18:30 CET.
This 1.5-hour session will focus on the broader efforts to advocate for the rights of lesbians*.
We will discuss EL*C’s advocacy effort, for example, the upcoming Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) resolution on the rights of LBQ women. This historical text, currently being debated, highlights the importance of visibility, combating lesbophobia, and supporting lesbian families.
Led by Ilaria Todde, EL*C’s Advocacy Director, the training will cover:
- The history and significance of advocacy for LBQ women.
- How to use reports and resolutions like PACE’s one in your advocacy.
- Practical strategies for ensuring real change for LBQ women across Europe.
Date & Time: October 8th, 18:30 CET (1.5 hours)
Platform: Online (Zoom)
REGISTER NOW
Can’t make it? The session will be recorded and made available to EL*C members.
This training is available exclusively for EL*C members (organizations and individuals). Not a member yet? Sign up today!
Lesbian organizations have long faced marginalization, not just in society but also within the funding landscape. Despite the critical role these organizations play in advancing human rights, they are frequently left underfunded and overlooked in both the women’s rights and broader LGBTI movements. It’s time to change that. With rising anti-gender movements and increasing threats to our communities, the need for financial empowerment is more urgent than ever. The moment has come for lesbian organizations to take control of their financial futures and secure the resources they deserve.
Lesbian organizations have been pushing boundaries for years, yet they continue to face both societal and funding neglect. 🌈💪 Despite being on the frontlines of the fight for human rights, they’re too often underfunded and overlooked—even within women’s rights and LGBTI movements.It’s time to change that.
⏰ In the face of rising anti-gender movements and growing threats to our communities, financial empowerment isn’t just important—it’s urgent. Let’s secure the resources lesbian organizations need to take charge of their futures and thrive. 💸💥
FUNDING FOR LESBIAN ORGANIZATIONS is an online training aimed at helping lesbian organizations overcome the systemic barriers to funding.
This workshop will cover practical strategies for identifying potential donors, crafting compelling funding proposals, and building long-term relationships with grant-makers. You’ll learn how to connect your mission with the priorities of different funding bodies and gain insights into diversifying funding sources to achieve greater financial security and independence.
REGISTER NOW
Training Date: 26th September, 18:30 CET
This training is available exclusively for EL*C members (organizations and individuals).
This session will be led by Dragana Todorović, the Executive Director of EL*C, who has years of experience in strategic fundraising and organizational development. As a dedicated advocate for the lesbian movement, Dragana’s work has spanned various sectors, including NGOs, government, and the private sphere.
Can’t make it? The session will be recorded and made available to EL*C members.
Not a member yet? Sign up today!