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Description
In recent years, the number of cases of discrimination and violence against people from the LGBTQ+ community in Poland has increased significantly. More and more people are hiding their sexual orientation or gender identity. Research shows that more than half of people in this group have experienced hate crime, 48% have serious symptoms of depression and 55% have suicidal thoughts. The project is a response to these challenges. It aims to improve the mental health of the LGBTQ+ people by providing them with individual support and psychoeducational empowerment. We also want to increase the knowledge and develop the skills of professionals working with people from the LGBTQ+ community in the areas of health, social welfare and education. The project will provide assistance to non-heteronormative people in the form of crisis support or short-term therapy (100 hours) and 15 hours of supervision for psychotherapists. We will conduct anti-discrimination consultations for educational staff looking for ways to support LGBTQ+ people in the groups they work with (40 hours). 3 workshops dedicated to working with LGBTQ+ people will be held. These will be anti-discrimination trainings to develop the competences of professionals dealing with sociotherapy, psychoeducation, and those providing psychological support, social assistance and crisis intervention. We will also conduct 2 anti-burnout workshops, 4 workshops on allying with the LGBTQ+ community, 3 WenDo workshops for non-heterosexual women and a series of 5 educational webinars. All forms of support are addressed to people from the LGBTQ+ community and for professionals working in the areas of health, social welfare and education. The project is implemented in partnership with the Centre for Women''s Rights, Wroclaw branch, which provides substantive and promotional support.
Summary of project results
The Power of Community is a program of the HerStory Foundation supporting LGBTQ+ people living in Poland. The project is a response to the constantly increasing discrimination and violence against people from the LGBTQ+ community. The aim of our project is to improve the mental health of a group of LGBTQ+ people by providing them with individual support and psychoeducational reinforcement, as well as increasing knowledge about the specifics of working with people from the LGBTQ+ community among people working in the areas of health, social assistance and education.
The Power of Community is a program of the HerStory Foundation supporting LGBT+ people living in Poland.
We carried out various, complementary activities. People at risk of exclusion found direct help, training and consultations with us. We strengthened activism, allyship, educated the community - we helped in places strategic for the lives of LGBTQ+ people. All forms of support were free.
The program was a response to the escalation of systemic violence and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. Harmful propaganda slandering non-heteronormative people, supported by the Polish authorities and the hierarchs of the Catholic Church, has become the norm.
LGBTQ+ people struggle with depression, stress, suicidal thoughts and exclusion. They lost their sense of security in all areas of life.
The following activities were carried out:
- 5 workshops working with people from the LGBTQ+ community (3 online, 2 stationary in Wrocław)
- 3 WenDo workshops for non-heterosexual women and allies (on-site in Wrocław)
- 4 workshops on allyship with the LGBTQ+ community (2 online, 2 stationary in Wrocław)
- 124 hours of psychological support (in-person in Wrocław and online)
- 14 hours of supervision for a therapist providing psychological support
- 40 hours of anti-discrimination consultations (online)
- 6 webinars:
“LGBTQ+ person in a psychological/therapeutic office | webinar with Pixie Frączek”;
"Activism that empowers - a conversation about balance: Natalia Sarata (RegenerAkcja) and Ilaj";
"Allyship - how to support LGBTQ+ people? | Webinar with Janina Bąk”;
“What should a good transition procedure in Poland look like | Nina Kuta, Anton Ambroziak”;
"Parents of transgender people: being supportive and finding support - Piotr Jacoń, Ewelina Negowetti";
"Networks supporting LGBTQ+ people in business - webinar with Maja Zabawska."
Participating in workshops working with people from the community. LGBTQ+ – social workers, people psychotherapeutic - acquired competences in the specificity of working with people from the community. LGBTQ+, effective support and help for non-hetero people, became aware of their own level of privilege, became familiar with the entire range of forms of discriminatory behavior and gained knowledge on how to support.
People participating in ally workshops - people who supported people close to them and friends who wanted to take ally activities - learned how not to increase the fear and sense of loneliness or misunderstanding in people from the LGBTQ+ community and how to really support LGBTQ+ people using inclusive and empathetic communication .
By participating in WenDo self-defense and assertiveness workshops, LGBTQ+ women and their allies acquired competences in the field of effective mental and physical self-defense and took part in a number of workshop exercises that increased their assertive communication.
By participating in advocacy and educational webinars, participants increased their knowledge of appropriate support for LGBTQ+ people in the office, activism that does not burn out but supports them, active allyship with LGBTQ+ people, the legal path of transition in Poland, support for parents of transgender people and employee support networks bringing together LGBTQ+ people and allies in the workplace.
LGBTQ+ people benefiting from psychotherapy sessions received support in, among others: scope: working with self-esteem, experience of gender dysphoria and eating disorders, experience of violence, trauma related to the experience of violence, experience of internalized homophobia.
Anti-discrimination consultations helped - teaching staff, people working in educational institutions, cultural institutions, for the local community - in terms of discussing their planned or ongoing anti-discrimination activities and possibilities of supporting the community. LGBTQ+.