LGL meets QuPiD project partners to discuss B, T and I representation in LGBT*IQ organizations

On February 22-26 LGL members met five other organizations participating in the QuPiD project. The meeting under the topic “LGBT*Q – together, side by side or against?” took place in Warsaw, Poland.

QuPiD, Queer Paths into Diversity is an international project aiming at the cooperation of organizations fighting the discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The project is meant to share the best practices and to implement adequate political adult education into the organizations’ agenda.

Project partners are encouraged to take a critical look at the representation of various sexual orientations and gender identities in theory and in practice, and to seek for an appropriate education in regard to those issues for community members and the general public.

Six partners involved in the QuPiD project are the following: Kampania przeciw homofobii, KPH (Poland), Lithuanian Gay League, LGL (Lithuania), Verein Niedersächsischer Bildungsinitiativen e.V., VNB (Germany),  Akademie “Waldschlösschen”, AW (Germany), Gay Older Brothers and Sisters, G.O.B.S. (United Kingdom) ir Malta Gay Rights Movement, MGRM (Malta).

The workshop in Warsaw was already the second project partners’ meeting. It took place in the KPH office.

During the meeting the representatives of all six organizations have presented the histories of LGBT movements in their countries, the existing legislation defending LGBT*IQ people’s rights and discussed the lack of certain knowledge and agreements among the community and general public. The participants were discussing the ways in which bi-, trans* and inter* issues are represented in their organizations’ agendas and daily work. They concluded that though the five countries participating in the project are fairly different on many levels, they share common grounds in terms of how bisexual, trans* and inter* people are underrepresented in legal system, policies and society in general in all the countries.

However, some of the countries participating in the project are in a better position – for example, the discussions showed that the cooperation between LGBT*IQ communities, activists and the police is implemented on a considerably higher level in UK than in Lithuania. Project participants from Malta, Germany, Poland and UK shared some truly useful experiences with Lithuanian delegation, and we hope they also found Lithuanian insights helpful. Therefore LGL is looking forward to meeting QuPiD project partners again and moving together towards higher inclusion, involvement and better adult education on LGBT*IQ issues!