Programmes

Supporting and Empowering LGBTIQ+ community

Providing support, informing and empowering the LGBTIQ+ community is one of the main LORI goals. We have recognised the importance of working in this field since our foundation and have organised multiple activities, projects and campaigns serving that cause.

Programme consists of two areas:

Social events

We regularly organise various social gatherings, aimed to empower and connect the community in a safe and supportive environment: Queer-UP! Party, Queer walks, Queer karaoke, film screenings, educative and creative workshops, etc.

Psychosocial support

The goal is to ensure psychosocial services for LGBTIQ+ persons, to increase their empowerment and to better their mental health. The support includes free legal aid, as well as free and anonymous testing for HIV and syphilis during European Testing Week. Additionally, psychosocial support is aimed towards informing and sensitising professionals about specific aspects of providing services to LGBTIQ+ persons in the field of mental health.

Psychosocial support includes:

Combatting discrimination and protecting rights of LGBTI persons and women

LORI programme Combatting discrimination and advancing the rights of LGBTI persons aims to eliminate/combat discrimination and violence against LGBTIQ+ persons in various areas of life: in hiring and at the workplace, in educational system, in the family, while accessing services etc., as well as to provide protection and to advance the rights of LGBTI persons. The programme includes informing, sensitising and educating various professionals (teachers, psychologists, police officers...), employers and others, along with providing information through publications such as: Guidelines for combatting homophobia and transphobia and peer violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, Yogyakarta Principles and Workplace Equality Index. LORI organises campaigns, panel discussions and similar public events to raise public awareness about the importance of these topics and to sensitise the public for a greater understanding and acceptance of LGBTIQ+ persons, while reducing prejudice and stereotypes.

We regularly monitor the position of human rights of LGBTI persons in Croatia and contribute to annual reports for several national and international institutions. An important part of the programme is advocating changes in public policies, as well as continuously public reacting to hate speech and hate crimes. Adding to that, we provide free legal aid for LGBTIQ+ persons.

Some programme activities are accomplished through projects, for instance: LGBTIQ+ Work Equality Alliance, Supporting Inclusive Education - Building a Safe Future and Respect Human Rights – Build Inclusive Society.

Within this programme, LORI also marks important dates relevant for rights of women and LGBTIQ+ persons, for instance: International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT, May 17th), International Women's Day (March 8th), etc. (IDAHOBIT, May 17th), International Women's Day (March 8th), etc.

Although the programme focuses on Combatting discrimination and violence against LGBTIQ+ persons, it also includes a fight against sexism, misogyny, racism, fascism and activities aimed at the protection of women’s and reproductive rights.

Combatting homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in educational system

Sexual orientation and/or gender identity are the basis of discrimination, social stigmatization and marginalization in different areas including education. In Croatian schools, different forms of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are visible alongside with worrying presence of peer violence and harassment based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Violent behaviour leaves direct, but also long-term consequences on the psychosocial health of the youth that experienced it, as well as on their success in school, private and professional life. Violence against LGBTIQ+ youth should be approached as a complex social issue that can be solved using a strategic approach and by all social and institutional bodies taking responsibility, which can in the end contribute to the creation of a sustainable, accepted and efficient way in which the state and society should deal with the acknowledged problem.

The main goal of this LORI programme is reducing homophobia, biphobia and transphobia and peer violence based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity and expression in educational system, as well as protecting human rights and providing support to LGBTIQ+ youth. The programme is ongoing through various projects and activities since 2012, and some of the main activities of the programme are:

educating elementary school and secondary school students with the goal of preventing peer violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression
educating teachers and school professionals in elementary and secondary schools on LGBTI topics
publishing and distribution of publications for school professionals and youth

Priručnik za nastavnike/ice i stručne suradnike/ice o vršnjačkom nasilju i zlostavljanju nad LGBTIQ učenicima/icama
Guidelines for combatting homophobia and transphobia and peer violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools
Brošura za mlade “Šalji dalje” u svrhu povećanja prihvaćanja LGBTIQ vršnjaka/kinja i suzbijanja homo/bi/transfobije i nasilje/zlostavljanja na osnovu seksualne orijentacije i/ili rodnog identiteta i izražavanja
Suzbijanje nasilja i zlostavljanja LGBT mladih u odgojno - obrazovnim ustanovama
Digital resources

Education on LGBTIQ+ topics and gender equality

LORI has been developing educational work in the field of LGBTI human rights, gender equality and related topics since 2001, and this programme aims towards representatives in institutions responsible for combatting discrimination, as well as towards ministries, employers, police officers and different professionals in health, education and civil sectors and finally, the youth. Going through the topics can involve group work or an individual approach depending on the needs of the participants, through workshops, lectures and exercises as an important part of experience-based learning. Programme's activities include holding educations, seminars and trainings, holding lectures at universities, mentoring students and creating educational materials such as textbooks, publications and brochures.

LORI has so far conducted multiple educations, trainings, workshops and lectures such as the education on hate crimes against LGBTIQ+ persons for police officers, training on LGBTIQ+ topics for mental health professionals, workshops about gender equality for workers and volunteers of the Red Cross City organisation in Biograd na Moru, and lectures as part of the University course "Gender, Sexuality, Identities – From Oppression to Equality".

Programme goals:

Informing about basic terms regarding LGBTIQ+ topics and gender equality
Informing and furthering knowledge on basic concepts regarding human rights, rights of LGBTI persons and women's rights
Informing about the current legal framework regarding human rights
Informing about relevant national and international documents for protection from discrimination and violence
Furthering knowledge on LGBTIQ+ topics for specific knowledge sectors (health professionals, psychologists, social workers etc.)
Developing a positive and inclusive environment for LGBTIQ persons
Reducing stigma and prejudice towards LGBTIQ persons

Queer and feminist culture

As promoting queer and feminist culture is among LORI strategic goals, one of our key programs is - Queer and feminist culture.

Since our beginnings, LORI has been working with the intention of bringing queer and feminist culture closer to the local community (primarily), in terms of both the general public - in the matter of informing the public, and LGBTIQ+ community, with the aim of empowering it.

The problem of (in)visibility and marginalisation of queer and feminist culture in Croatia, as well as the variety of cultural contents through which LORI has introduced the concepts of queer and feminism to the general public, along with collaborations we created, you can check out here.

Within this programme, LORI has been organising cultural and artistic events since the early 2000s, independently and/or in cooperation with other associations, institutions and prominent artists, both from Croatia and abroad.

Some of the contents through which LORI introduces queer and feminist culture to the public are: exhibitions, theatre plays, literary evenings, film screenings, and Festival of Queer and Feminist Culture Smoqua.

More about Smoqua, its history and previous festival editions check out here.