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Description
This concerns increasing prejudice, violence, and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Śląsk, an element of the political and media smear campaign directed towards LGBT+ people in recent years. One example is local government homophobic LGBT-free zones, which now cover 30% of Poland, and the Stop LGBT bill now in the Sejm, intended to ban gay pride marches. This hate campaign is accompanied by social radicalization and increasing homophobia and transphobia. Meanwhile, LGBT+ people experience minority stress and depression, and have suicidal thoughts five times more frequently than heteronormative people. More than 60% have recently experienced hate-related violence, and 70% conceal their orientation at school due to fear for fear of the reaction. The Project Promoter will provide free psychological and legal aid for approximately 230 LGBT+ people, including psychological counseling and legal advice, on-call emergency online and e-mail support, and support groups (two groups of twenty). In total, 230 people will use the emergency support service. In the same period, there will be three training sessions for various professional groups, including psychologists, therapists, and people working in education and public authorities (50 people). Supervision will be available for people providing psychological support for LGBT+ people. The Project Promoter will also issue three brochures – two for LGBT+ people on the available psychological and legal support, and one for the local community, including professionals in various sectors, with information about LGBT+ people. The psychological and legal support will also improve lives of LGBT+ people in Śląsk, help them deal with difficult discrimination experiences, and improve self-acceptance and self-esteem. The Śląsk community, especially people working in education and public authorities, and providing psychological support, will be more sensitive of LGBT+ community issues.
Summary of project results
The project addressed the problem of increasing prejudice, violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Silesia region. The problem is in line with the political and media campaigning against LGBT+ people in recent years. Examples of this include the local government''s homophobic ‘LGBT-free zones’, which at their peak covered as much as 30 per cent of Poland, and the ‘Stop LGBT’ bill under consideration by the Sejm, which would ban equality marches. The hate campaign was accompanied by social radicalisation, growing homophobia and transphobia. Meanwhile, LGBT+ people are five times more likely than heteronormative people to experience minority stress, suffer from depression and have suicidal thoughts. More than 60% have recently experienced hate-motivated violence and 70% hide their orientation at school for fear of a reaction.
As part of the project, the Project Promoter provided free legal and psychological support to people at risk of discrimination and exclusion, particularly on the basis of gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. A total of 389 people benefited from psychological support and 43 people from legal support. A support group for parents of transgender people was established. Five trainings entitled ‘Basics for working with LGBTQIA+ people’ were held for different professional groups - therapists and therapists, psychologists and pscyhologists, employees and social workers from MOPS, OPS, primary and secondary schools and other support centres. A total of 54 people participated in the trainings. The Project Promoter also published three brochures - two for LGBT+ people about the psychological and legal support offered, and a third with basic knowledge about LGBT people for the local community, including professionals from different sectors, with information about LGBT+ people. As part of the project, those providing psychological support to LGBT+ people benefited from supervision.
The project provided direct support to 389 people - these were mainly trans and non-binary people, as well as parents of trans people. The psychological and legal support influenced the well-being of LGBT+ people in Silesia region, helped them cope with difficult experiences of discrimination, and influenced their self-acceptance and self-esteem. The Silesia region community has been sensitised to the problems of the LGBT+ community; in particular, those working in education, social welfare and providing psychological support have raised their competence in working with LGBT+ people.