This article highlights Th.eros Transfeminist Lab’s project from Greece, funded by the second cycle of EL*C’s grant-making programme: Lesbians Against Violence (Combating Gender-Based Violence against Lesbians).
For too long, violence against lesbians has remained hidden in the gaps between movements and systems. Mainstream responses to gender-based violence often assume that all women experience violence in the same way. At the same time, broader LGBTQI+ discussions do not always address the specific realities of lesbians. The result is a lack of data, limited visibility and support systems that are not always equipped to respond.
Th.eros Transfeminist Lab is working to change this in Greece. With support from EL*C through its EU-funded grant-making programme against gender-based violence, the organization is implementing Lambda: A multi-scalar, lesbian-affirming approach to combating gender-based violence in Greece – a project that documents lesbian experiences, amplifies community knowledge and supports the development of more effective responses
Lambda contributes to the wider goal of strengthening prevention, protection and systemic responses to gender-based violence affecting lesbians. At its core is a simple but powerful idea: before systems can respond to violence, they must understand who is affected, how violence appears, and what survivors actually need.
In Greece, important legal steps toward equality have taken place in recent years, but legal progress does not automatically remove everyday discrimination, social exclusion or fear of violence. Many lesbians continue to face lesbophobia, family rejection, institutional barriers and forms of violence that remain underreported. For those experiencing multiple forms of marginalization, accessing recognition and support can be even more difficult.
To address this invisibility, Lambda focuses on something that has long been missing: lesbian-centred knowledge. Through community-based research, Th.eros is documenting the experiences of lesbians who have faced gender-based violence and discrimination, creating space for stories that are often excluded from existing studies.
The project combines desk research, a large-scale community survey and interviews with lesbian activists and civil society experts. The research explores how gender-based violence affects lesbians in different contexts – including relationships, families, institutions and public spaces – while paying attention to experiences that are often pushed even further to the margins.
The online survey, developed through an inclusive and community-informed approach, aims to capture the complexity of lesbian experiences in Greece. Beyond numbers, the project creates space for participants to describe their realities in their own words. The collected knowledge will form the basis of a research report with findings and recommendations that can support future advocacy, policy discussions and community action.
Lambda also demonstrates that research is not only about collecting information—it can also be a tool for empowerment. By naming experiences that have often been ignored, the project helps communities identify patterns of violence, challenge stereotypes and demand better responses.
As part of its awareness-raising work, Th.eros is also developing activities that bring these conversations to a wider audience. Planned activities include public discussions and a podcast series featuring lesbian experts and activists working on gender-based violence. These conversations aim to share knowledge beyond academic spaces and make it accessible to the communities who need it most.
The impact of Lambda goes beyond a single research project. It creates a foundation for long-term change: stronger advocacy, better understanding of lesbian survivors’ needs, and future support models built from community experience rather than assumptions.
By combining research, storytelling and activism, Th.eros is challenging the silence surrounding gender-based violence against lesbians in Greece. Lambda reminds us that documenting our experiences is not only about recording harm – it is also about creating tools for resistance, care and collective liberation.
When lesbians tell their own stories, they also shape the systems and futures they deserve.
NOTE: You can learn more about the results of the first cycle of the EL*C’s Grant-Making Programme by reading this article.
