From Gaps to Access – Trans and intersex people in healthcare
Date of implementation:
1 December 2021 – 30 November 2023
Co-financier:
Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV)
Organizations:
Coordinator: kolekTIRV Za prava trans, interspolnih i rodno varijantnih osoba [Croatia]
Partners: Legebitra [Slovenia]
This project aims to decrease healthcare discrimination and inequality trans and intersex people face in Croatia and Slovenia, using evidence-based best practices to educate and engage relevant stakeholders. The project activities address key policy objectives set out in the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020–2025: combating inequality in education, health, culture and sport (health in particular), and improving the recognition of trans and non-binary identities, and intersex people through an intersectional approach and comprehensive action to prevent and fight discrimination, pathologisation, harassment, stigmatization and stereotyping of trans and intersex persons in the healthcare system.
LGBTIQWorkEquality – LGBTIQ Work Equality Alliance – Fighting Discrimination and Promoting Equality in Employment

Date of implementation:
1 January 2022 – 31 December 2023
Co-financier:
Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV)
Organizations:
Coordinator: Prostor rodne i medijske kulture K-Zona [Croatia]
Partners: Lezbijska organizacija Rijeka LORI [Croatia],
Legebitra [Slovenia]
LGBTIQ Work Equality Alliance addresses the inclusion of LGBTIQ people in employment with specific focus on fighting discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. A programme for employers (various training modules) will be developed based on the assessment of their needs as identified by the Workplace Equality Index survey.
TRUST COOP – Building trust and cooperation between law enforcement and LGBTI community to improve response to LGBTI hate crime

Date of implementation:
1st January 2020 – 31st December 2021 (15th January 2020 – 14th January 2022)
Co-financier:
Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Union (2014 – 2020)
Organizations:
Police, Ministry of the Interior of Republic of Slovenia (project coordinator and applicant), DIC Legebitra (partner)
The project is gradually establishing a system to support LGBTI victims of hate crimes, which will enable victims to identify and report hate crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity and / or gender expression. It is based on more intensive cooperation between the Slovenian Police and DIC Legebitra. It will include the training of police officers on how to deal with LGBTI victims of hate crimes.
Trans Buddy – Building the Capacity of Transgender People to Respond to the Needs of Transgender Youth in Accessing Gender Confirmation Healthcare

Date of implementation:
1st of September 2020 – 15th of June 2021
Co-financier:
ILGA-Europe
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra (project coordinator and applicant), Centre for Social Psychology at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana (partner)
The project focuses on building foundations for improving access to gender confirmation healthcare in Slovenia primarily for transgender youth, who are entering or are already in the gender confirmation process, by establishing peer-to-peer support system.
European Solidarity Corps: With solidarity for the respect and inclusion of LGBT + youth; volunteering project

Date of implementation:
1st of September 2020 – 31st of August 2022
Co-financier:
European Union; through the MOVIT National Agency, Institute for the Development of Youth Mobility
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra (applicant, host organization)
Citizens in action (partner, sending organization/support organization)
The project “With solidarity for respect and inclusion of LGBT + youth” addresses the current needs of the LGBT + community. It includes a variety of activities that are urgently needed to empower LGBTI + young people, reduce discrimination, increase social inclusion, and equal opportunities.
Long-term volunteering will include three volunteers who will be involved in the organization by relay, which means that a maximum of two volunteers will be present in the organization at the same time, and in certain periods they will cross paths with each other. Each volunteer will have a working and leisure mentor
RESPONSE TO HIV
Date of implementation:
5th November 2019 – 4th November 2022
Co-financiers:
Ministry of Health, City of Ljubljana – Department for Health and Social Security
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra (coordinator), University of Ljubljana – Institute of Microbiology and Immunology (partner)
The Response to HIV programme represents the continuation of the continuous implementation of the HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) service for MSM in the community in our center, MSM gathering places and in regional centers.
HIV +
Date of implementation:
5th November 2019 – 4th November 2022
Co-financiers:
Ministry of Health, City of Ljubljana – Department for Health and Social Security
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra
The HIV + programme focuses on counseling, advocacy and awareness-raising in the field of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
PROTECT – Preventing sexual and gender-based violence against migrants and strengthening support to victims
Date of implementation:
1st October 2018 – 31st March 2020
Co-financiers:
Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Union (2014 – 2020)
Organizations:
The project is implemented by 12 units of the International Organization for Migration, namely from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Spain, and 8 partner NGOs; Legebitra (Slovenija), Le monde selon les femmes abl (Belgium), Fundación EMET Arco Iris, Asociación Rumiñahui, Movimiento por la Paz (Spain), Arq Psychotrauma Expert Groep, Rutgers, and Pharos (Netherlands).
The main objective of the project was to strengthen the capacity of existing national support services for victims of sexual and gender-based violence to better coordinate and provide access to these services to refugees, migrants and asylum seekers who are victims or potential victims of sexual or gender based violence (SGBV). The project also aimed to raise awareness and empower these communities.
VOLUNTEERING FOR SOCIAL PARTICIPATION AND LGBTIQ + YOUTH – LGBTIQ + VOLUNTEERING

Date of implementation:
from 2018
Co-financiers:
Ministry of Public Administration – Public call for the Development of Non-governmental Sector and Volunteering 2019
Organizations:
Pride Parade Association (coordinator), DIC Legebitra (partner)
Through the project, we established and developed structured work with volunteers in collaboration with mentors. We designed thematic / field training that enable the active participation of volunteers in the conception of activities, planning, implementation and evaluation of content in various fields. As part of the LGBTIQ + volunteering project, the promotion of volunteering for LGBTIQ + young people also took place in different parts of Slovenia (Maribor, Brežice, Jesenice, Koper), which led to greater interest and inclusion of LGBITQ + volunteers from all over Slovenia in the Legebitra volunteering program.
CALL IT HATE

Date of implementation:
January 2018 – December 2019
Co-financiers:
Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Union (2014 – 2020)
Organizations:
Universita’ di Bresca (coordinator), ; Çavaria, Glas, Zagreb Pride, Háttér Society, Lithuanian Gay League, Lambda Warszaw, Miłość Nie Wyklucza, Galop, Teni, DIC Legebitra, University of Ljubljana – Faculty of Arts, Hate and Hostility Search Group (partners)
The aim of this European project was to raise awareness of hate crimes based on non-normative sexual orientation and / or gender identity, among the general public and within the LGBT community, and to emphasize the need to report such crimes and empower victims. As part of the Call it Hate project, Legebitra has also developed a website https://niprav.si/, with which we want to support victims of hatred in finding information about possible next steps.
UPPPS – Exercising the right to legal gender recognition in Slovenia
Date of implementation:
April – September 2017
Co-financiers:
Public Scholarship, Development, Disability and Maintenance Fund of the Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Education, Science and Sport
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra (coordinator), Faculty of Law – University of Ljubljana (partner)
The project dealt mainly with the legal dimension of gender recognition in Slovenia. According to case studies in this field, gender attributed at birth has a significant impact on a person’s life, so it is important for the state to provide adequate opportunities for persons to whom gender has been incorrectly attributed at birth. The project was designed as a multidisciplinary research work, intended to produce a comprehensive study of (international) legal obligations that bind the Republic of Slovenia regarding the rights to legal recognition of gender or regulating the legal position of transgender persons and the possibilities for implementation and obligations in Slovenian legislation.
DARE – DARE TO CARE ABOUT EQUALITY

Date of implementation:
January 2017 – December 2018
Co-financiers:
Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Union (2014 – 2020)
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra (coordinator), University of Ljubljana – Faculty of Arts; Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (partners)
The purpose of the project was to improve the position and attitude towards LGBT people at various levels and areas of life in Slovenia. By providing key information on topics related to sexual orientation, the project wanted to educate and raise awareness, while also drawing attention to inequalities in society. As a part of the DARE project a promotional campaign was created kajpatiopazis.legebitra.si.
RESPONSE TO HIV
Date of implementation:
1st January 2017 – 4th November 2019
Co-financiers:
Ministry of Health, City of Ljubljana – Department for Health and Social Security
Organization:
DIC Legebitra (coordinator), University of Ljubljana – Institute of Microbiology and Immunology (partner)
The core of the programme was the community testing service that has three interrelated components: community testing, support for inclusion in treatment, and support for people living with HIV.
KEMSEX
Date of implementation:
1st January 2017 – 4th November 2019
Co-financiers:
Ministry of Health, City of Ljubljana – Department for Health and Social Security
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra (coordinator), Association DrogArt, ŠKUC Association (partners)
A unique drug harm reduction programme that combined two approaches: the approach of LGBTI organizations with a focus on the sexual aspect of prevention and the approach of an organization dealing with drug prevention.
MOVING FORWARD – PARENTS OF LGBT PEOPLE
Date of implementation:
1st September 2016 – 31st February 2017
Co-financiers:
Open Society Initiative for Europe
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra
The purpose of the project was to support the parents of LGBT people in organized socializing.
TRANSACTION – a transfeminist initiative for the support and alliance of transgender people
Date of implementation:
2015 – 2017
Co-financiers:
City of Ljubljana – Department for Health and Social Security
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra
The programme addressed a specific target group that remains invisible in society in Slovenia, including within the LGBT community. It strove to overcome the social exclusion of transgender people and to find possible solutions. The programme had two main goals, namely offering support to transgender people and cooperation in the field of raising awareness and information about the phenomenon of transgenderism in Slovenia. The first professional meeting TransMisija was held. After half a year of operation, the program moved to the newly established transspecific organization Transfeminist Initiative TransAkcija Insitute .
SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR OLDER LGBT ADULTS
Date of implementation:
2015 – 2017
Co-financiers:
City of Ljubljana – Department for Health and Social Security
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra
The programme was aimed at older LGBT adults who are not a frequently addressed group in the LGBT community. The meetings were intended for informal and thematically relaxed socializing and getting to know each other.
COUNSELING AND SELF-HELP FOR SAME-SEX ORIENTED
Date of implementation:
from 2015
Co-financiers:
Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, City of Ljubljana – Department for Health and Social Security,
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra
The goal of the programme is to help relieve feelings of self-denial, hiding, loneliness and stigmatization due to same-sex orientation, sexual expression, identity or positive HIV status, thereby contributing to greater self-confidence and better self-esteem of users. It respects and includes values such as: respect and appreciation of differences and diversities, self-determination, free choice, actively combating discrimination and stigmatization.
EURO HIV EDAT – Operational knowledge to improve HIV early diagnosis and treatment among vulnerable groups in Europe
Date of implementation:
1st April 2014 – 30th September 2017
Co-financiers:
European Commission – Health Programme 2008 – 2013, for period 2014 – 2017
Organizations:
Fundacio Institut d’Investigacio en Ciencies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (FIGTP) (coordinator), Institut Catala d’Oncologia (ICO-CEEISCAT), Projecte dels Noms – Hispanosida, Association AIDES, Fondet til Bekaempelse af AIDS, Aidshilfe NRW, GAT – Grupo Portugues de Activistas sobre Tratamentos de VIH/SIDA – Pedro Santos, National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ), DIC Legebitra, Institut of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Asociatia Romana Impotriva SIDA (ARAS), Consorcio Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red del Area de Epidemologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP) (partners)
The overall aim of the project was to gain useful knowledge to better understand the role and impact of voluntary community counseling and testing (CBVCT) across Europe, as well as to study the use of innovative strategies based on new technologies and social networks to improve early detection of HIV / STIs and treatments among the most vulnerable groups.
DIKE
Date of implementation:
1st March 2014 – 29th February 2016
Co-financiers:
EGP Financial Mechanism – Norwegian Financial Mechanism in Slovenia – NGO programme, Fund for Non-Governmental and Non-Profit Organisations
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra (coordinator), Institute for Culture of Diversity Open, Peace Institute, The Advocate of the Principle of Equality by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Institute for Legal Research, Education and Counselling and Landsforeningen for lesbisk og homofil frigjøring (LLH, Oslo) (partners)
The project aimed to empower LGBT people and NGOs for the elimination of systemic and structural discrimination against homosexuals, strengthen active citizenship, the rule of law, democracy and social justice. It contained a series of activities to strengthen social partnership with relevant stakeholders. The website www.lgbtpravice.si, the LGBT Legal Advisory Service and the Lawyers’ Network developed from the project.
RESPONSE TO HIV

Date of implementation:
2014 – 2015
Co-financiers:
EGP Financial Mechanism – Norwegian Financial Mechanism in Slovenia – Norwegian Financial Mechanism Programme 2009 – 2014
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra (coordinator), Association ŠKUC / Gay Section Magnus, Association DIH – Equal Under the Rainbow, University of Ljubljani – Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana – Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Illnesses, Helseutvalget for bedre homohelse (partners)
The project enabled the establishment and implementation of new comprehensive programmes and services for the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases, specifically a system for the promotion of safer sex and HIV testing in the community (outside health care institutions), for various user groups. As part of the project, a web portal with preventive messages was created: https://kajisces.si/
CHALLENGING HOMOPHOBIA – BUILDING SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR LGBT PEOPLE IN KOSOVO
Date of implementation:
July 2012 – March 2014
Co-financiers:
European Union Office in Kosovo
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra (coordinator), International Relief and Development (IRD Global), Centre for Peace and Tolerance (CPT) Kosovo (partners)
The project was aimed at combating discrimination and promoting equal participation of the LGBT community in Kosovo through direct cooperation with local authorities. It was designed to build cohesion between formal and informal LGBT groups in Kosovo and to promote their participation and representation in interaction with other civil society groups and local authorities.
BREAKING THE WALLS OF SILENCE
Date of implementation:
2012 – 2013
Co-financiers:
Student Organization of University of Ljubljana (ŠOU), Foundation for Funding Disability and Humanitarian Organizations, (FIHO)
Organizations:
LGBT Yout Schotland (coordinator), Kampania Przeciw Homofoii (Poland), DIC Legebitra (partners)
The project addressed the attitude of the school environment towards homosexuality and violence, especially homophobic. The information obtained from the research were intended to support and to advocate for better education policies and the implementation of education with teachers and professors to create safer spaces for LGBT students. Based on this, a handbook for teachers in introducing a discussion on homosexuality and homophobia in high school entitled Breaking the Walls of Silence! was created.
LIVING LIBRARY
Date of implementation:
from 5th May 2007
Co-financiers:
City of Ljubljana – Department for Health and Social Security, Foundation for Funding Disability and Humanitarian Organizations, (FIHO), Student Organization of University of Ljubljana (ŠOU)
Organizations:
DIC Legebitra
A living library is a means by which we actively raise awareness, educate about human values, human rights, and encourage the discussion of prejudices and stereotypes in society through the method of active dialogue. The method confronts the reader with his / her own prejudices and stereotypical notions and offers a concrete opportunity to meet his / her own stereotype live.