Lesbian, bisexual Migrants, Black lesbians and trans*
Anti-violence and Anti-discrimination work area of the lesbian counseling center, Lesbenberatung e.V. Berlin
***New: Survey for lesbian and bisexual women and trans* regarding experiences with violence and multiple discrimination. Get started August 9th!***
Using this survey, LesMigraS, the anti-violence and anti-discrimination branch of the Lesbenberatung Berlin e.V., plans to gather more information about the living situations of lesbian and bisexual women and trans* in Germany.
We would like to encourage all people who identify with a lesbian or bisexual lifestyle to participate in this study: lesbian and bisexual women and trans*, trans* people that formerly lived as lesbians and trans* people who identify with a lesbian lifestyle.
LesMigraS
LesMigraS engages in antiviolence and antidiskrimination work, offeres counseling and a space for self empowerment. A key part of our work is to not only emphasize one attribute, such as being a lesbian, but also the migration background, being a woman or being trans. Due to the combination of various attributes, people are often affected by different kinds of discrimination such as racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia. We recognize that these can often not be separated from each other, and we call that multiple discrimination.
Our goal is to advocate against all kinds of violence and discrimination. We want to give lesbians, homosexuals, migrants, Black people and people of color the opportunity to be able to show and live their entire personality and be accepted and appreciated at the same time.
LesMigraS therefore offers a place where migrants and Black lesbians can meet and share their ideas together.
Counsellors of LesMigraS, who themselves are Black or have a migration background, offer counselling and advice in English, Persian, Spanish, Italian and German. In collaboration with other intercultural facilities, help can also be offered in Kurdish, French, Polish and many other languages.
Besides counselling, the documentation and publishing of discrimination cases is another important field of LesMigraS. Therefore it is essential to our work that everyone who experiences discrimination approaches us and tells us about it. We also offer advise on the General Equal Treatment Law.
Another important aspect of our work is to establish networks with projects in migrant communities and to bring into attention issues of sexual self-determination as well as multiple discrimination.
For ten years now, we work closely with other lesbian, homosexual, intercultural and migrant facilities, organizing anti-discrimination projects as well as diversity- trainings.
LesMigraS has supported three films in Germany, France and Austria about the situation of lesbian migrants from various countries.
Furthermore we have published five books in different languages:
1. Life of Iranian lesbians - Iranian lesbians in Germany and Europe (Persian/German)
2. Voices of Arabic Lesbians - Arabic Lesbians in Germany and Europe (Arabic/German)
3. Russian lesbians in Europe (Russian/German)
4. Set signs - lesbians of Turkish descent in Germany and Europe (Turkish/German)
5. Plea for fighting discrimination among the discriminated - lesbian migrants in intercultural projects and lesbian organisations in Germany (German)
We have published two posters and three postcards in Persian, Turkish and German. Our posters, postcards and books are available in our counseling center. Our range of products is constantly developing. You are welcome to visit us and take a look at our current materials, which you also can take home. You can also download the same material from our homepage.
LesMigraS
c/o Lesbenberatung Berlin e.V.
Kulmer Strasse 20a
10 783 Berlin
Germany
phone: +49 30 21 91 50 90
info@lesmigras.de
Our office hours are:
Monday 10-19h
Tuesday 10-19h
Wednesday 10-17h
Thursday 10-19h
Friday 10-17h
