The project addresses the problem of discrimination and violence towards LGBT + people in the Zachodniopomorski voivodeship. Poland is the most homophobic country in the EU. LGBT+ people have been the target of hate on the part of the ruling majority, the church, and extreme right-wing groups, leading to social radicalisation, an increase in prejudice, and homophobia-motivated attacks for a number of years. Meanwhile, LGBT+ people are in an alarming condition – the percentage of young people who consider suicide is as high as 70%, 75% conceal their identity and/or orientation, 47% have experienced discrimination, and 15% – violence motivated by prejudice. Apart from Lambda, unfortunately there are no other LGBT + support organisations in the region. The situation is worst in small towns, as here LGBT+ persons have the least opportunity to find support.
The Project Promoter will organise two gay pride marches in each of the cities of Szczecin and Gryfino-Mescherin, and provide support for marches in Koszalin. Lambda will provide specialist help for 260 LGBT+ people and those close to them, including one-on-one consultations, support groups, and art therapy workshops. It will also conduct two cultural projects: a series of visual works and murals with love stories of well-known LGBT+ figures, presented on outdoor media throughout Poland, and drag art workshops culminating in a concert finale. There will also be two social campaigns in trams and buses in four counties. In addition, there will also be awareness-raising meetings on LGBT+ issues in twenty county towns in the region.
Primarily, the LGBT+ community in the Zachodniopomorski voivodeship will benefit from the project. Due to the measures, LGBT+ people will be given support in emergencies, and their self-acceptance, feeling of safety, and comfort of living will improve. LGBT+ people will have a more visible profile in the region, and the queer community will be more integrated and stronger.