Romnja Feminist Library, a transnational platform led by Romani lesbians in Bucharest, addressed the double erasure of Romani lesbians from both mainstream LGBTQ+ spaces and Roma advocacy. Their “Where We Belong: Claiming Rights, Space, and Representation” project amplified Romani lesbian lived experiences to influence EU policy-making and strengthen advocacy against intersecting racism and lesbophobia, aligning with EL*C’s Strengthening the Lesbian Movement regranting program aimed at building advocacy capacity, political influence, and lesbian rights.
The project transformed prior EL*C-supported research on racialised lesbians’ realities into creative advocacy tools, consultations and policy engagement to centre Romani lesbian voices in public discourse and decision-making processes.
Consultations and roundtables built dialogue between Romani lesbians, NGOs, activists, local authorities and EU policymakers, including a key policy roundtable that informed advocacy strategies on housing, healthcare, employment and political participation.
Three online storytelling workshops engaged Romani queer women from Romania, Spain, Germany and Serbia, where participants co-created poetry, narratives and a collective manifesto rooted in their experiences of systemic exclusion. These fed into the flagship output: the “BEYOND THE FRAME” Romani feminist queer zine, blending artistic expression with political analysis. Translated into six languages (English, Spanish, Romanian, Serbian, German, Romani), the zine was launched at a Brussels event, drawing 40 participants for readings and discussions on belonging, solidarity and resource access.
A parallel social media campaign shared zine excerpts. Building on workshops and consultations, the team – with a contracted policy expert – drafted a policy brief and research summary with concrete EU-level recommendations on combating racism/lesbophobia. Shared with MEPs Melissa Camara and Benedetta Scuderi, it sparked commitments for a dedicated event.
The results advanced visibility and agency for Romani lesbians. Key outputs – zine, policy brief, multilingual content – made structural inequalities tangible while opening policy doors, including MEP commitments. Consultations strengthened networks with Equinox Initiative and European Roma Rights Centre, while trainings built organisational resilience for sustained advocacy. The project grew Romnja’s coherence, skills and reach, with materials continuing to circulate at events like Roma Week, ensuring Romani lesbian narratives drive long-term rights protection, monitoring and policy change.
