More about Rosalinde Leipzig e.V.

More about Rosalinde Leipzig e.V.

Rosalinde Leipzig e.V. is a nonforprofit, nongovernmental organization formed in 1989 which operates on a transparent, democratic basis through the support of volunteers. The organization seeks to advocate for and support the LGBTI+ community through four primary ‘pillars’:

1. Counseling: Rosalinde Leipzig e.V. has trained volunteers and specialists at their counseling centers to provide guidance, education, and help for members of the LGBTI+ community and their family, friends and advocates. In addition to private sessions, they also host discussion groups for LGBTI+ people who wish to ‘come out’ or who seek an inclusive, safe space to discuss and explore their gender or identity.

2. Education: Rosalinde Leipzig e.V. offers resources for further education and hosts educational programs. Their programs aim to educate parents and friends of the LGBIT+ community on how best to support their loved ones.

One such program, “Love True Colors!”, focuses on educating students in Saxon schools on LGBTI+ issues and helping LGBTI+ individuals involved in extracurricular activities. They provide education on sexual orientation and gender identity to encourage young people to accept their LGBTI+ peers and ensure LGBTI+ students and community members can comfortably participate in extracurricular activities at school. The team members of the project are young adults who share their own experiences as community members of the experiences of the LGBTI+ community through educational workshops.

Along that vein, Rosalinde Leipzig e.V. educates the community on the discrimination faced by the LGBTI+ community, and provides sex education, including information on HIV/Aids. They also share information on and facilitate partner events, including The Parent Information Point, a collaboration between the Working Group on Sex education and the health centre in Leipzig, which focuses on providing information to parents on issues related to sexuality and gender.

3. Advocacy: An organization that acknowledges the importance of intersectionality, they advocate not only against homophobia and transphobia but also against racism, sexism, and any form of discrimination.They advocate for their members through integrating their work into sociocultural events, through composing statements on education, theology, medicine and sociology with regards to LGBTI+; and through addressing legal and political issues that affect LGBTI+ people. They also conduct and participate in public events where they advocate for LGBTI+ issues and highlight LGBTI+ artistic contributions and culture. In addition, the provide information and consultancy on legal issues for their members and the community.

4. Culture: Rosalinde Leipzig e.V. highlights and promotes LGBTI+ culture and art through readings, musical performances, cabaret performances, and exhibitions. This year, Rosalinde Leipzig e.V., in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation Saxony , are involved in a book fair programme to ensure LGBTI+ voices are included in literary canon and queer and feminist perspectives are represented. They will also be hosting a reading, which includes three queer authors, at their institution. Finally, they are inviting LGBTI+ audiences to share their own stories on the day.