Queer lab Europe - Testimonies

Participants' experience

Queer Lab Europe is a youth exchange organized This publication by Associazione Vagamondo together with other 7 contains part of the European organizations: Solidarity Mission, LGL, testimonies written by Mozaika, DICE, DIH, TransFúzia, Almenaras and the participants of the project as a follow-up partner organizations on the local level: WAND, activity, it aims to Arcigay Caserta, Arcigay Napoli, Campania Rainbow, Pompei Pride, Osservatorio LGBT, share and to disseminate their Atletico Brigante, Gruppo Scout CNGEI Benevento. experience. Read The project involved 40 young people from Czech the full text here Republic, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Spain in activities aimed to explore different types of LGBT+ activism and increase visibility of LGBT+ people through social research. The program was developed mainly through non- formal education activities and it was co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus Plus Program and Agenzia Nazionale per I Giovani.

I learned that if somebody said something insensitive, it We learned many things about gay was often not because of malicious but ignorant reasons. culture, law and things that are going This change of mindset has helped me greatly after the on in Europe about LGBTQIA+ project when I had to interact with non-queer people. The rights. I loved the diversity we had project also made me more courageous and confident. I among us and also with our guests, was given room to express myself freely and I felt safe we had the opportunity to make enough to push myself out of my comfort zone, it made ourselves comfortable with what we me realise how much more I am capable of.- Skai are and what we think.- Aggeliki It showed how much can be done and improved if people fight for their rights, if people come together and work in a team. I learned that everyone has their stories and experiences, and even when someone seems to be different in one way or another; there is something that connects us all. - Vineta This project has given me the chance to learn about how is the situation of LGBT+ people in society and legal aspects, it gave me the opportunity to expand my horizons in way that I got more knowledge and also to meet people with whom, one day, I will be able to work with, to make the world a better place together. - Javier I enjoyed seeing and listening to opinions of others and think about things from variety of perspectives I would not think of myself.I changed my mind when it comes to thinking about labels, boxing, and the length of a spectrum we have when it comes to sexual preferences. - Júlia

I came home a new person, since everyone I met changed me in some way. New knowledge, moments of realizations, ideas and relationships, warm memories and sense of accomplishment - this is what everyone, including me, carried away from this project. - Anastasiia This project taught me a lot - I The parts of exchange i took the most from were learned what it feels like to live in a fundraising and follow up events we organized with my safe, secluded space with like national team in Slovakia. We organized short movie minded individuals, the similarities projection related to LGBTQ families topic with and differences in our backgrounds, discussion as our fundraising event before the how to talk openly and judgement- exchange. It was really nice evening, people had fun free about very intimate and sensitive and also learned some new information and knowledge topics. - Ray about situation of trans* people in Slovakia. - Saša I had the possibility to meet different and very inspiring human rights activists from Italy, to participate in flash mob in front of Reggia di Caserta, to communicate with people from different countries and to change our absolutely different experience in human rights activism and its development in future perspective. - Vincent By participating in the project I not only learned about the LGBT topics, as I also improved my digital skills in making and editing videos, writing reports and plays, while doing this all in a multicultural environment. So, learning something new everyday was a huge surprise for me. - Vita

This project brought us close to the struggles and I graduated with a thesis on successes of our community in Campania; I was amazed bisexual invisibility and bi-erasure that even in such a different country, surrounded with and how those issue can affect many different people who grew up in completely different the mental health of bisexual cultures, I found the feeling of belonging to a strong, people. The project was amazing, caring community and it's this feeling that motivates and emotional, encouraging and it drives me to continue with my activism and the tackle pumped me up for my future in challenges I face in my work - Iva the world of activism. - Andrea I am a more positive person now for what concerns LGBT+ activism because I saw how other people were involved in the project and in local associations activities. I also discovered a more technical approach to research, a new way to develop questionnaires and read results, an effective way to measure our impact on actual society. - Chiara I realized that there are many young What attracted me most to this project was the ability people around Europe who take to learn in order to support the LGTB+ community in activism pretty seriously and are doing my village. Many of the doubts and questions I had their best to change he world. From about the subject prevented me from doing more for this experience I take out hope and the young people in my locality. Now I have resolved many warm feelings of having met many of the doubts I had, and I feel motivated to take people with whom I connected ad action, join discussions on the topic and continue made me feel less alone.- Chara asking questions to keep learning. - Merche

I have learnt a lot about the situation and problems LGBTIQ+ people need to face daily. It was inspirational to compare the different approaches, different opinions, different situations. We had a chance to create a network of contacts and connections between local and international organizations for future collaboration.- Katarina It was incredibly inspiring to meet Giuseppina La Delfa, I´m really grateful for the opportunity to meet the young activists from countries across all Europe. The programme had all the potential to be very good and interesting, but I think it was meant for somebody else – younger, inexperienced in activism and organization of anything. - Vendi Some of the activities were light-hearted, others were solid and educational for sure, so I really enjoyed when I managed to find the balance between them. The guiding star after the project, that lasted for the longest and made the biggest impact, was the urge to take the first step, the importance of it, because if not you, who? If not now, when? - Eimantė This project was great not only in terms of We did many things in the project as a educational and cultural perspective I received collective, but the most representative was but also in terms of being more self-aware, being the final questionnaires on which I put all more authentic to myself and those around me. It my ideas and imagination and then we had had a long-lasting effect on my life and I’m to spread it in our countries. Also, the extremely grateful to have been part of it, to have flashmob in Caserta was emotional, seeing had that taste of dolce vita while opening my different people participating in it gave me mind and heart to the beauty of Italy. - Tim hope to believe in this society. - Andrea

I had an occasion to share my experience from LGBT+ rights activism with my activists colleagues from different countries. The best enjoyment for me was the flash mob in Caserta because I had never done these activities. The making of a public opinion poll was for me good experience too. - Jan I became more confident and open about my sexuality and after the project I started to actively participate in LGBT+ activism in my country. It brought to me a lot of new friends from all over Europe. The project pushed my own boundaries by performing a play and doing a flashmob, which I have never done before. We bonded like a family and I would not change this experience for the world. -Kaja Once I saw that magic happened in such a small place, I I realized how an important role went back home and I just wanted to spread it all around, \"research\" can play in activism for confident that if it was possible in Vitulano, it can be the LGBT+ spectrum and I have everywhere! We just have to find a way to wake up increased my overall competencies people around us and inspire them, show them that with on the topic and on local grassroots a little bit of commitment from everyone even their village activism through the visit that we had lost in space and time, can become colourful and with the different Italian welcoming for everyone. - Milvia organizations - Cathy

I developed useful skills as a better capability to work in a group and a sense of initiative. I developed a good ability to listen and expanded my knowledge on the LGBT legal situation and protection in countries different from Italy. This exchange was also a moment of personal growth, as I worked on my shyness and fun. - Valeria Even though the location where we were With so minimal interactions with LGBT+ community staying during the exchange was beforehand, because no associations or clubs exist in nowhere near as hot as I thought it would my area, I was immediately struck when I saw this type be, it still felt warm thanks to the loving of project. Learning first-hand about the differences in and accepting atmosphere created by the LGBT+ rights in these eight European countries, which participants. It made me feel stronger and most of them are way more advanced in LGBT+ rights, perhaps more confident to overcome my made me want to fight stronger and louder so that we issues. - Amy could at least gain that much and much more. - Ineta One of my biggest aims in life is to be active in the LGBTQ community – both in my country and worldwide. This project was exactly right for me based on this wish. I was especially happy to learn more about the queer community, I feel like it’s so important to allow yourself to step outside of the borders drawn by your society. - Austėja

When I was sharing my experiences with participants of other countries, it really brought me a sense of belonging to my community but also to other social groups I was currently being in. I think the project was a really valuable experience for me and I will benefit from it for a long time.- Boba I found myself being seen as a capable leader, I test myself It was kind of a safe space for and I learned so much about my skills and limits in such most of us, specially for those role, redefining what were the limits of my self-esteem and who came from countries in my own image of myself. I learnt a lot about motivation, which the members of the regarding others as well as myself. All of these things and community have a low social skills, of course, affected positively my engagement in status or are seen as “depraved”, activism (which was my initial goal), but ended up having a we could see this in the coming huge and precious impact on me first. - Raffaele out stories of each other.- Natalia Meeting and co-living with different kind of people for few days can open up your mind and find yourself in ways that you couldn't imagine. It can help you to grow and at the same time connect in order to achieve common goal, which in our project was LGBT+ rights and visibility. - Anastasia

The location of the event was actually more than an hour away from Naples. The nearest shop was more than an hour away on foot. Everyone had to clean the facilities on their own - that is - each other’s showers, toilets, kitchen and floors. On an Ersamus+ programme! But we survived and we battled on. - Lev I had a chance to listen to activists and I There are events in life that you sense they are was so nicely surprised. QLE helped me outstanding, as you perceive immediately that they are to explore myself, to feel freer and enriching you. Queer Lab Europe was of that kind and I helped me to get good friends around the believe that it offered me the very precious opportunity to Globe. It was a magical time, I really enlarge my understanding, to see things and live them in enjoyed being far away in the mountains, a different way. The most interesting part of the project surrounded by stars and warm smiles. I was to release our creative spirit and construct something felt in love and I felt loved.. - Alina extraordinary and original through teamwork - Eleni It made me feel like I am not alone. I often heard comments disregarding my sexuality and asking me to “pick a side”. Meeting other people that identify as bisexual/pansexual allowed me to see that I am not crazy, and I am valid. I came back being prouder than ever for who I am and how I choose to view love. - Anna This experience allowed me to reconnect with my activist side. I enjoyed the most to make the questionnaire. I contributed heavily to it with many ideas, thoughts and analyses. I also had to translate it to Spanish and promote it in my country, which allowed me to learn many new things as how to approach associations. - Carmen

Thank you!