Join us for the webinar An introduction to LGBTIQ youth homelessness and the role of LGBTIQ organisations on 27 September 2019 at 13.00 CEST.

LGBTIQ homelessness is a much under addressed issue in the European and Central-Asian region, a reality that needs to change.

As part of our intersectionality work and in an effort to address socio-economic inequalities and their impact on LGBTIQ people, ILGA-Europe are increasingly engaging around the issue, and more specifically on LGBTIQ youth homelessness.

By partnering with key actors in the sector and creating spaces for peer learning and exchange, we want to raise awareness, increase our collective knowledge and ultimately explore potential avenues for responses from the LGBTIQ movement.  

During this webinar we will hear from three partners and friends of ILGA-Europe: FEANTSA, European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless; Ljubljana Pride Association, active at the grassroots level in Slovenia specifically on youth LGBTIQ homelessness; and True Colors United, US based organisation implementing innovative solutions to youth homelessness that focus on the unique experiences of LGBTIQ young people.

What does the issue look like? What are challenges around service provision and what can LGBTIQ organisations and groups do? What are pressing needs and what are examples of tools, resources and strategies available?

Our guests will touch upon these elements to provide an introduction to LGBTIQ youth homelessness and to reflect on what role LGBTIQ organisations and groups can play.

Registration

Registration is now closed.

Presenters

Simona Mursec is the President of Ljubljana Pride Association since 2015. In her 20 year long career as an activist, youth political representative, human rights education trainer and facilitator of policy processes she has worked with numerous international and interregional institutions and NGOs from all over the globe. She is a fierce human rights advocate and practitioner and her main fields of interest are rights of minorities and marginalised groups, youth and youth policy processes, social inclusion and antiracism work. Ljubljana Pride Association has developed into a strong intersectional and anti-racist organisation under her auspices and leadership. Simona is currently employed at WeMove Europe, a European multi-issue online campaigning organisation, where she works as their finance manager.

Robbie Stakelum works for FEANTSA, the EU Umbrella Group of Homeless Organisations, and leads on their work on LGBTIQ & youth homelessness, where he also coordinates a network of young professionals working towards the eradication of youth homelessness in Europe. He is a Course Director with the Council of Europe delivering the upcoming 5 day course on LGBTIQ homelessness in Budapest and also works as a professional and life coach.

Gregory Lewis – A longtime advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) equity, Gregory Lewis worked with Cyndi Lauper to launch True Colors United in 2008 and has served as its executive director since its founding. Under Gregory’s leadership, True Colors United has grown into the leading national organization implementing innovative solutions to address youth homelessness by focusing on the unique experiences of LGBTQ youth. Gregory built the organization from the ground up, creating the infrastructure and development streams critical to its success. Gregory also served as an inaugural co-chair for four years of A Way Home America, a national initiative to build the movement to prevent and end homelessness among young people in the United States.

Watch a recording of the webinar

Apply now to participate in the Gathering for D/deaf and disabled LGBTI activists and LGBTI and disability rights activists in Europe and Central Asia.

D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people face specific barriers and challenges when accessing human rights. Accessibility and inclusiveness have more and more been part of LGBTI groups and organizations’ conversations and practices. Yet most D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people continue to be marginalized in LGBTI movements across Europe and Central Asia. Many D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people have strongly advocated for spaces and agendas within LGBTI or disability rights movements that are more inclusive of them and of their experiences. Some have started their own groups or organized events to better cater to their community and its needs.

As part of our work on movement building and intersectionality, ILGA-Europe is inviting you to apply to participate in the Gathering for D/deaf and disabled LGBTI activists in Europe and Central Asia, to be held on 21 – 24 November 2019 in Brussels.

This meeting will be a space for D/deaf and disabled LGBTI activists and LGBTI and disability rights activists in the region to take stock of the various forms of D/deaf and disabled LGBTI activism. It aims to provide a space for activists to jointly think about possible ways forward when it comes to movement building.

For the time-being we still are struggling with limited resources, but we are committed to make the best use of them to ensure that this meeting is fully accessible to those who will participate. This meeting also plays an important part of our own learning.

At this event, you will:

• Meet other D/deaf and disabled LGBTI activists and LGBTI and disability rights activists in Europe and Central Asia, who are active at grassroots, regional, national or international levels;
• Share your experiences working as a D/deaf and disabled LGBTI activist or LGBTI and disability rights activist;
• Understand more of the contexts the other participants work in, including key issues and strategies that activists use;
• Exchange and pull together knowledge, tools and practices to support and strengthen D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people, communities and movements;
• Map existing gaps, needs and resources within the D/deaf and disabled LGBTI movements with regard to movement building;
• Participate in a joint thinking process regarding potential avenues for movement building at the regional level.

The meeting will be held in English.

ILGA-Europe will cover travel, meals and accommodation costs for the duration of the meeting (from the evening of 21 November, to the morning of 24 November).

ILGA-Europe will provide support in the best possible way and work to meet accessibility requirements within the scope of our capacity and resources.

Scroll down for more information on the event and practical details below.

Do not hesitate to contact us via email at valeria@ilga-europe.org or by calling 0032 2 609 56 52 (Valeria’s number at ILGA-Europe):

• If you have doubts or questions related to this event.
• If you need support to finalize your application or if applying in writing doesn’t work for you.
• If you will not be able to apply or travel to Brussels but you would still like to be involved in or informed about this event. 

What will the workshop cover?

The meeting will aim to provide a safe space where participants are encouraged to share their own experiences and hear from the experiences of others. It will combine peer exchange in bigger and smaller groups, informal discussion sessions on movement building, priorities, needs and potential ways forward. The program of the workshop will be based on participants’ contributions and expectations.

The meeting will be held in English.

Who should come?

You are strongly encouraged to apply if

• You identify as a D/deaf and disabled and LGBTI person/activist or LGBTI and disability rights activists;
• You are an individual activist or part of a group or organization in Europe and Central Asia;
• You have experience in relevant human rights advocacy or policy work, or in delivering services to D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people;
• You are able to participate for the full duration of the training;
• You communicate effectively in English or sign language.

We also encourage non-disabled LGBTI activists to apply if they work on LGBTI and disability rights.

Selection criteria

The selection will be based on the:

• Relevance of your  work in relation to the experiences of D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people;
• Ability to share information about the experiences of D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people in your local or country context and/or at the regional level;
• Desire to participate in a strategic discussion on movement building within the context of LGBTI/disability rights;
• Cooperation or intention to build alliances with other activists in the region.

Practical details

Date and Place of the Training

Date: 21-24 November 2019
Place: Brussels, Belgium
Arrival: 21 November, Thursday
Departure: 24 November, Sunday

Travel reimbursement

ILGA-Europe will reimburse travel costs after participants attend the full meeting. When the selection process is concluded, participants that are selected to attend the meeting need to make their own travel arrangements.

Participants should look for the cheapest mode of transport available (economy class airfare or 2nd class train), that takes into account needs accessibility and reasonable adjustments, as previously agreed on by ILGA-Europe. If travel costs are more than € 250, participants should let ILGA-Europe know and wait for ILGA-Europe approval before the booking/purchase of the ticket. Local travel (buses, trains, etc.) will be covered through a per diem provided at the training.

If you are not able to pay for your travel costs and be reimbursed later, you should indicate that in the application form.

Meals and accommodation

ILGA-Europe will cover costs for the accommodation and meals from the evening of 21 November to the morning of 24 November. During the meeting lunches are usually provided by ILGA-Europe. For meals that we don’t provide directly we provide pocket money. Any other costs, relating to meals and accommodation outside of these times, will have to be covered by the participant unless previously agreed with ILGA-Europe.

Accessibility

We are committed to ensuring that the meeting is accessible to all participants.

Please state your accessibility and reasonable adjustment needs in the application form. Please mention in particular if you require travel and accommodation reimbursement for a Personal Assistant; if you require sign language interpretation or if you require the support of a palantypist (speech to text captioning); and if you are not able to make your own travel arrangements.

ILGA-Europe will provide support in the best possible way and work to meet accessibility requirements within the scope of our capacity and resources.

Application process

Applications closed.

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The language D/deaf and disabled people reflects the terms used in the publication Nathan Gale, (2017) “Oppression Squared: D/deaf and disabled trans experiences in Europe” Transgender Europe. See here: https://tgeu.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Oppression-Squared.pdf

Such language was used by the group of experts gathered under that project and is informed by their experiences and extensive activism across Europe. We decided to refer to this language for this event. However, as stated in the publication “it is important to note the variety of terms that are used by D/deaf and disabled people to describe their experiences and to acknowledge that there is not always agreement on the language used”. We hope that this will not discourage potential applicants. Do reach out in case you have questions or doubts.

* This meeting is funded by the European Union’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020).

Next Thursday 27 June 2019 marks the European Equality Gala’s fifth birthday

The biggest fundraising party for the LGBTI movement in Europe and Central Asia will be held in a new venue at  AREA 42 in Brussels, with all proceeds going directly towards ILGA-Europe’s work defending LGBTI rights across the region.

Gala guests can expect tunes spinning from DJ Azo, Syrian buffet from culinary NGO We Exist and free bubbly to kick off the evening.

The European Equality Raffle also see lucky winners claim prizes including:

• tickets to Cher’s Here We Go Again world tour, generously provided by Live Nation Belgium
• an original painting by New York City-based artist Andres Palacios
• an Amsterdam Pride weekend hotel package for two, generously provided by Meininger Hotels
• a package of coaching sessions to help you unlock and maximise your potential and performance, generously provided by Colloquium Coaching 

“Across Europe and Central Asia, LGBTI activists are making change happen – from influencing policy-makers to providing services to the community from organising Prides to responding to crises,” says Executive Director Evelyne Paradis. “This is your chance to fuel the movement, to help us continue our crucial work and to meet just some of the many activists, advocators and political leaders shaping the future of LGBTI equality.”

The European Equality Gala has also received a number of flattering and inspiring comments from notable returning guests:

“My favourite EU event of the year, with everyone smiling for a good cause – what’s not to love?”

– Ryan Heath, Political Editor at POLITICO Europe

“For me, it’s an opportunity to connect with fellow supporters of equality.”

Catherine Naughton, Director of the European Disability Forum

“We continue to face backlash on LGBTI rights despite efforts for equality being made in Europe and across the world. This is why strong, well-resourced civil society is key to making equality, social justice and an inclusive Europe a reality for all.”

Piotr Sadowski, President of Social Platform

“Supporting human rights, freedom and diversity in the most glittery and excited night of the year in Brussels. What could be better?”

Terry Reintke, Member of the European Parliament

The European Elections are approaching at a fast pace, and our campaign activities are picking up speed!

In February, ILGA-Europe launched the ComeOut campaign with the No Hate Appeal completing the campaign package. More than 100 candidates from 15 countries have already pledged to Come Out for human rights and LGBTI equality.

Now we are announcing the European elections series of webinars providing tools, inspirations and good practices to support LGBTI organisations’ work around elections.

On 5 April, ILGA-Europe will kick off the series with an interactive webinar on campaigning, agenda setting and alliance building for LGBTI activists focused on EU elections. We will look into the experience of activists around Europe and discuss strategies for reaching out to candidates, building alliances and for putting LGBTI rights on the agenda!

You will hear from activists from KPH (Poland), ILGA Portugal and COC Netherlands

The webinar will take place on Friday 5 April 2019 from 11.00 to 12.30 CEST (Central European Summer Time).

REGISTRATIONS CLOSED

For more information on our campaign and to get involved, follow our hashtag #ComeOut4EU

ILGA-Europe are organising a lunch webinar for activists to discuss the findings of the new report that compares the needs of activists with the priorities of funders. The report was commissioned by ILGA-Europe and the Global Philanthropy Project and was recently launched. The webinar will take place on Tuesday, 5 March from 12.30-13.30 CET.

Our new report, Funding for LGBTI Activism in Europe and Central Asia: Comparing the Priorities of LGBTI Organisations and Funders, provides a compelling challenge to assumptions about the funding landscape in Europe and Central Asia, with new data and recommendations for resourcing LGBTI movements at the forefront of progress and the frontlines of resistance.

The report shows that the most important strategies identified by activists are poorly funded. These strategies include countering populist and right-wing movements, providing emergency support and supporting LGBTI communities.

Registration closed

• Read more about the new report here.
• This new report compares the key findings from ILGA Europe’s 2018 Funding for LGBTI Activism in Europe and Central Asia: Priorities and Access to Resources report with an analysis of European and Central Asian grantmaking data from the 2015-2016 Global Resources Report:? Philanthropic and Government Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex Communities.

Are you campaigning for legal gender recognition in your country? Discover how to talk about self-determination with policy-makers, media, allies and community members.

ILGA-Europe will host an interactive webinar on message framing for LGBTI activists and allies working on legal gender recognition based on self-determination. We will look into the experience of activists around the globe and put into practice the framing techniques we explored in the previous webinars of the strategic communication series.

You will hear from Mauro Cabral Grinspan, Executive Director of GATE; Sarah Phillips, Chair of TENI; Richard Koehler, Senior Policy Officer at TGEU, and Viktor Heumann, Director of Trans*parent.

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Registration closed

The webinar will take place on 11 September 2018 from 17 to 18.30 CEST (Central European Summer Time). 

Register to attend the interactive webinar on “How to test your communications: tools and experiences from the LGBTI movement”. The webinar will take place on 29 June 2018 from 11 to 12.30 CEST.

LGA-Europe will host an interactive webinar on message testing for LGBTI activists and allies.

Register now to attend the webinar “How to test your communications: tools and experiences from the LGBTI movement”. The webinar will take place on 29 June 2018 from 11 to 12.30 CEST (Central European Summer Time).

Registration closed

We will look into how to choose your methodology, find the right sample and do testing with small budget.  But first and foremost we will discuss how testing can make our messages successful and can help us determine the direction of our campaigns. Best practices of testing will also be presented together with very practical recommendations on how to – and not to – test your messages LGBTI equality.

You will hear from Bec Sanderson, researcher at the Public Interest Research Centre (PIRC, UK), which has partnered with ILGA-Europe in developing the Framing Equality Toolkit and the Testing Guide recently published. Simon Maljevac, LGBT activist and politician (Slovenia), Raffaele Boiano and Daniela Ferrazza, respectively co-founder and researcher at the user experience design agency Fifth Beat (Italy).

Fourth European Equality Gala moves to a new exciting venue in Brussels and introduces a special silent auction. 

On 27 June ILGA-Europe will hold the fourth European Equality Gala, the biggest fundraising party for LGBTI movement in Europe and Central Asia. This year the event will be held in a new venue, the Centre for Fine Arts BOZAR in Brussels, and will once again feature entertainment, inspiring speeches and of course champagne. Profit from the gala event goes directly towards supporting the work of ILGA-Europe. 

Tickets are no longer on sale.

Okeanide, the bearded queen from #Lithuwhateverania will be the host for the evening. And model and activist, Munroe Bergdorf (pictured above) will be will be performing a special guest DJ set. 

The European Equality Auction is a brand new feature of the event. The silent auction is open to supporters of LGBTI equality everywhere, not just limited to gala guests. All profits of the auction go directly towards supporting the important work of ILGA-Europe and the LGBTI movement in Europe and Central Asia. 

We are happy to invite you to the upcoming webinars on the Funding for LGBTI Activism in Europe and Central Asia – Priorities and Access to Resources!

We invite LGBTI activists working in Europe and Central Asia to join us in a series of webinars to discuss the findings.

1. Community Organising – Why is it a Priority? Monday 4 June at 16.00 CEST (Duration: 1hr)

We will talk with activists about why community organising is such a critical activity in these times. It appears that this activity is often underfunded and we would like to discuss why this is the case and what can be done about that. Note that this webinar is for activists only. Registrations closed.

2. Fighting opposition – what does it entail?  Thursday 7 June at 16.00 CEST (Duration: 1hr)

We will talk with activists about how they fight opposition. What are effective strategies and what is the role that funders can play in supporting this? We want to discuss how funders can contribute to this important work. Note that this webinar is for activists only. Registrations closed.

Want to read the report?

Interested in our findings? Please click here to access a copy of the report. 

ILGA-Europe will host a webinar on framing messages for LGBTI equality on 22 may at 11:00 CEST.

Our societies are built on stories. By understanding framing, activists can craft their communications to create sustainable social change.

ILGA-Europe will host a webinar on framing messages for LGBTI equality. We will look into how to clarify our vision and goals when approaching strategic communication and how to better understand our audiences in order to be able to develop effective messages.  Best practices of campaigns will also be presented together with very practical recommendations on how to – and not to – frame LGBTI equality.

You will hear from Bec Sanderson, researcher at the Public Interest Research Centre (PIRC, UK), which has partnered with ILGA-Europe in developing the Framing Equality Toolkit and the Testing Guide recently published; Katarzyna Remin, Social Change Team Manager at Campaign Against Homophobia (Poland); and Anastasia Danilova, Executive Director at GENDERDOC-M (Moldova).

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Registration closed

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This is the second of a series of webinars on strategic communications to be hosted by ILGA-Europe. Save the date of our final webinar in the series: 

How to test your communications: tools and experiences from the LGBTI movement, on 29 June 2018 from 11 to 12.30 CEST

Check our website to know about ILGA-Europe’s work on strategic communication and our most recent publications.