Description
Social acceptance of LGBTI people is according to latest research lowest in Central Europe. The main objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of NGOs and the promotion of the principles of civic participation through the creation of platforms for arguments, evidence-based advocacy on behalf of LGBTI people human rights in Slovakia and homophobia reduction. Next it will be conducted a research on homophobia and collect examples of good practice from abroad, and on that basis create public policy papers in the field of media, development of media strategy and thus create awareness about LGBTI, people human rights and negative aspects of homophobia in the Slovak media and internet environment. Trough information campaigns the project also will increase the availability and awareness of objective and reliable information about this issue and support e-activism. The target group of the project are mainly NGOs, public authorities, LGBTI people, the media, the general public.
Summary of project results
Social acceptance of LGBT people in Slovakia was one of the lowest in Central Europe according to the relevant researches. The project responded to the campaign preceding a referendum proposing restrictions on the rights of LGBTI people. A new element is the use of quasi-scientific arguments and misinterpretation of conclusions of scientific studies in order to demonstrate the negative effects of the so-called "homosexual lifestyle", the inadequacy of same-sex couples as parents and so on. On the contrary, an opportunity for change was the creation of a government action plan for LGBTI people. The overall aim of the project was to strengthen the capacity of NGOs and promotion of the principles of civic participation through the creation of argument bases and platforms for advocacy based on evidence in favor of human rights of LGBT people in Slovakia. The tools used were research and collecting examples of good practice from abroad and on their basis creating of proposals for public policies in the field of development media strategy. Thereby we created conditions for NGOs and activists to counterbalance the negative discourse and raising awareness of the rights of LGBT people in the Slovak media and the internet, especially by disseminating relevant and scientific arguments, increasing the availability of objective, reliable and comparable information and support of e-activism. The project was aimed at creating a base for advocacy in the future, thus ensuring its sustainability. The project has contributed significantly to the Action Plan for LGBT (which is largely a result of the work of members Iniciatíva Inakosť) and to the ability of NGOs to enter the commenting process of action plan. Media strategy and publication increased the professionalism of NGO publications in relation to the media. Information campaign raised awareness about the action plan and the rights of LGBT people. Manual on e-activism is a tool for young people informing them about ways to combat cyberhate.
Summary of bilateral results