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Description
The aim of the project is to empower LGBT+ people, especially young adults experiencing discrimination and violence. ''The social situation of LGBTA people in Poland for 2019-2020'' report as of 2021 shows that the situation of LGBT+ people in Poland is very difficult. Almost half of these people have symptoms of depression, and fewer and fewer choose to come out. 37% of these persons have not disclosed their gender identity or sexual orientation to anyone in their family. Research shows a link between discrimination and depressive symptoms, lower self-esteem and lower life satisfaction. 53% of those surveyed have experienced a hate crime and the proportion of people experiencing sexual violence has risen to 22%. Therefore, in this project we are focusing on safety, assertiveness and strengthening the sense of community of LGBT+ people. As part of the project, we are developing the programme of the Equal Place - LGBT+ Centre in Wrocław, tailored to the needs of the LGBT+ community. We run assertiveness and self-defence workshops for LGBT+ people. We organise meetings of the ''Transparent'' group for transgender people and their relatives and the ''Rainbow Umbrella'' group for young LGBT+ adults. We carry out a series of workshops under the motto ''Express yourself'' and development workshops, including body work. In addition, we are running an online campaign about LGBT+ safety. We implement the project mainly in Wrocław, but also in the Lower Silesian and neighbouring provinces. In the project activities people with disabilities, migrants and refugees are also involved.
Summary of project results
The aim of the project is to strengthen LGBT+ people, especially young adults, who cannot fully use and understand their potential due to experienced discrimination and violence. As part of the project, we intend to develop the functioning of the Rural Place - LGBT+ Center Wrocław, so that after a two-year period of the pandemic and related restrictions, i.e. isolation, it will once again become a safe, non-commercial space for the community, opened by 5 days a week. We will place particular emphasis on building a rich offer that will meet the most important needs of people from the community: integration, security and potential development. Currently, many of our activities are aimed at crisis relief or psychological strengthening. Rivne Place''s offer will also serve to build community. We will achieve the goals, among others: workshops on working with the body in a body-positive spirit, development workshops, meetings of transgender people and their loved ones, artistic workshops. A special, innovative activity will be the creation of an original program of assertiveness and self-defense workshops for LGBT+ people and conducting classes in Wrocław and the region. We will ensure that people with disabilities, migrants and refugees are included in our activities.
Main project activities:
- COURAGE workshops! – 7 workshops on assertiveness and self-defense were conducted in Wrocław, Opole, Legnica and Gdańsk. The scenarios were prepared by a group of experts.
- Transparent Group - approximately 30 integration and strengthening meetings were organized for transgender people and their loved ones.
- Rainbow Umbrella - monthly self-development meetings for young LGBT+ people conducted by psychologists were held, including: working on relationships and assertiveness.
- Artistic workshops "Express yourself" - 10 workshops were held to develop creativity, such as collages, intuitive painting and pinhole photography.
- Queer bodywork classes - weekly "Radical Rest" workshops taught people respite and coping with minority stress.
- Strengthening workshops – 4 supporting meetings were organized. Two of them were held for specific target groups: parents of transgender people and polyamorous people. The other two workshops concerned counteracting mental crises and strengthening mindfulness and compassion in relationships with ourselves.
#BawSięDobrze campaign In March and April 2024, 5 designs of stickers and posters promoting safe play were prepared in cooperation with the pozqueer collective. Educational materials distributed in the venues reminded people how to take care of their own and others'' boundaries during events.
The project, implemented mainly in Wrocław and the region (Lower Silesia and neighboring voivodeships), contributed to rebuilding community and a sense of closeness in the LGBT+ community after the pandemic.
About 400 people took part in the project and actively participated in various forms of classes and events. Thanks to the #BawSięDobrze campaign, we managed to reach 98,439 people, increasing awareness of the initiative and promoting the values of community and mutual support.
The project''s recipients were a diverse group:
- young LGBT+ people,
- queer people looking for empowerment and space for development,
- transgender people and their loved ones.
The most important result of the project was a significant enrichment of the offer of Rivne Place, the LGBT+ community center. Thanks to the organization of various classes and meeting groups, participants had the opportunity to:
- integrate with other queer people,
- discover your potential in new areas of expression and knowledge,
- regain a sense of community and closeness with other people after a difficult period of isolation during the pandemic.
The project not only provided space for development and support, but also contributed to building stronger bonds in the LGBT+ community, supporting its members in their everyday life and development.