Moving towards a European network
This article stresses the importance of support systems and structures for victims of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes. Various ILGA-Europe members are working on the creation of a European network of organisations providing victim support.
European LGBT NGOs generally have two kinds of objectives and actions:
obtaining equal rights and fighting LGBT-phobia. Among them, some NGOs
lean towards actions such as supporting victims of LGBT-phobia and reporting the cases of such hate crimes and discrimination.
LGBT victims of physical, verbal violence or discrimination are generally poorly informed. They seldom know their rights, nor do they know criminal
procedures. Besides, they often express a form of mistrust of police forces or courts, coming from of a long history of homophobia in these institutions – and despite the positive evolution that has been observed in a number of countries.
All this shows how crucial the duty of local NGOs in terms of information, orientation and active support is. Supporting victims and reporting cases remains the necessary counterpart to the fight for equal rights: the more LGBT people obtain new rights and acquire visibility, the more they are potentially victims of LGBT-phobic acts.
Yearly, since 2005, certain NGOs dedicating their core activities to victim
support have met regularly in Berlin, Paris or Brussels to share practices. In 2008, ILGA-Europe brought its full support to the setting up of a European network of such NGOs – an initiative also supported by the company IBM. This network could focus on three activities:
seminars and workshops to share practices,
training sessions aimed at delivering practical knowledge for NGOs wanting to create an activity of support to LGBT victims,
the promotion of convergence of data collected locally.
Among the prominent members of the network, SOS-Homophobie is a French NGO taking action against LGBT-phobic discrimination and violence. It was established in 1994 and is composed of volunteer members from throughout France.
SOS-Homophobie´s goals are the following: to help victims of homophobic abuse by providing an anonymous hotline through which they can speak out, be listened to, and above all, be given the means to take action by themselves; to provide a website through which victims can report their testimony online; to take effective action, whenever necessary (supporting letters, counselling, calling on the French Equity Body to make a case).
SOS-Homophobie also sues perpetrators, as civil parties at the victim’s side. Last but not least, SOS-Homophobie publishes an annual report, based upon the cases reported through the hotline and the website, and including a review of the year’s events and an analysis of the French media. This report delivers a yearly state of play of LGBT-phobia in France, evaluations of local and national policies and, moreover, it gives LGBTphobia visibility. It is sent each year to officials, national and local authorities, trade unions, media, academics, and other stakeholders.
By developing these practices, SOSHomophobie has established itself as an expert on these issues, and proposed prevention programmes such as inschool interventions or training groups designed for any body that might be faced with LGBT-phobia (companies, local authorities, youth club).
Another active member of the network is the Gay Help Line, an Italian, Romebased organisation, which is the result of collaboration between the Roman branch of Arcigay and two main partners: the New Rights Office of CGIL (Italian General Confederation of Labour) and NPS Network of People with HIV. The Helpline, which is a toll free number and can be reached from all over the Italian territory, was founded by the Municipality of Rome after a Roman gay man was brutally murdered in 2006.
The assistance of Gay Help Line to users is divided into two levels: a first
assistance by telephone or chat, completely anonymous, and a second level which can be carried out by the association volunteers (lawyers, doctors, psychologists etc).
Arcigay Roma organises a training course twice a year for the helpline operators which takes place in the premises of the association with about
20 participants and a programme including most relevant issues: legal, medical, psychological and listening and problem solving techniques. Further training opportunities are provided to operators after their enrolment. The main achievements of the helpline have been providing thousands of people with assistance and support and, in particular, thanks to two cases which received the legal support of Gay Help Line lawyers, for the first time ever an LGBT association in Italy has been acknowledged as a plaintiff in a homophobia case filed in court.
The next event of the informal network is planned to take place in Rome at the end of June 2010. The host will be Arcigay Roma and its national support desk, Gay Help Line. On this occasion European NGO representatives and helpline promoters will meet for a discussion on how to promote further partnerships and exchange of best practices among the participants on a very concrete basis, above all on the issue of data collecting and monitoring which seems to be a relevant issue at the moment at national and EU level, but which needs further discussion and
in-depth analysis.
Jacques Lizé,
SOS-Homophobie and
Salvatore Marra,
CGIL Roma e Lazio, partner of GayHelpLine
