On 22 October 2026, the Connecting the Dots project brings its two years of work to a close with a final conference streamed live on LinkedIn and YouTube. The day is called “Building a Bridge to Employment for LGBTI+ People”. It will show what can happen when LGBTI+ organisations, employment services and inclusive employers start working together.
The question behind the project is simple. Why do so many young LGBTI+ people stay out of work, education or training? Bullying at school, low self-confidence and fear of harassment at work all play a part. Mainstream youth employment programmes rarely reach them.
Since November 2024, Connecting the Dots has tried to change that in Lithuania and Bulgaria. On 22 October, the partners will share what worked, what they learned and how the bridge can stay open after the project ends.
Connecting the Dots is led by the Lithuanian Gay League (LGL). Its partners are the Bilitis Resource Center Foundation and the GLAS Foundation in Bulgaria, and the Lithuanian Diversity Charter Association. It is co-funded by the European Union through the ESF+ Social Innovation+ Initiative.
The project builds on its “bridge to employment” model that joins three things that usually stay apart:
- Individual support for young LGBTI+ people: personal career plans, consultations, mock interviews and free training.
- Inclusive employers who offer internships, practice placements and real jobs in safe workplaces.
- Employment services made more LGBTI+-inclusive.
The partners will present the results and the tools behind the model, with reflections from both Lithuania and Bulgaria and real journeys of people who found their way into work, and of the employers who opened the door.
The afternoon panel, “Building Bridges to Inclusive Employment” (13:00–14:00), brings in the big European picture. Rémy Bonny, Executive Director of the Brussels-based NGO Forbidden Colours, joins Connecting the Dots team in the panel.
Bonny brings an expert view on what could weaken the bridge to employment. Coordinated anti-gender campaigns, “propaganda” laws modelled on Russia’s, and growing hostility towards LGBTIQ+ people all shape whether employers feel free to be inclusive. They also shape whether young people feel safe to be themselves at work. Bonny first exposed Hungary’s anti-LGBTIQ+ law in 2021 and has urged the EU to act against similar laws, including Bulgaria’s.
A project ends; the need does not. That is why the conference welcomes the European Pride Business Network (EPBN), a natural partner for what comes next.
In the 14:00 session, “Power in connection: the EPBN Mentoring Program experience”, Jaime Romaní, EPBN Office Manager, will show how this mentoring and employer network can carry the results of Connecting the Dots forward. For young LGBTI+ people in Lithuania and Bulgaria, it could mean a mentor and a network that reach across Europe.
At 15:00, Juliane Marie Neiiendam delivers the keynote “From Strategy to the Workplace – Implementing LGBTIQ+ Equality in Europe’s Labour Markets”. She is a Member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and its Vice-President for Equality. She is also rapporteur of the EESC opinion on the EU LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026–2030.
The day ends the way the project began: with people. From 15:20, Alliance for Recruitment hosts informal networking and free career consultations. Anyone looking for their next step is welcome to join.
Programme at glance :
How to join: the conference runs on 22 October 2026 from 10:45 to 16:30 Vilnius/Sofia time (EEST), which is 9:45 to 15:30 in Brussels (CEST). It is a hybrid event, streamed live on LinkedIn and YouTube.
Connecting the Dots is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
