Reaching Further: Decentralising LGBTQI Youth Activism

Evidence shows that young LGBTQI people living in rural areas are disproportionately affected by social stigma, and the lack of social connections and peer support systems. Moreover, LGBTQI young people in rural settings face more social pressures to comply with traditional gender roles and norms, and capacity-building and leadership programmes often fail to involve young people outside of urban settings.

With this in mind, we brought together more than 20 LGBTQI young people from across Europe in Budapest, Hungary, to work collaboratively on the inclusion of LGBTQI youth in rural areas. Together, we discussed, brainstormed shared their experiences and learned from each other, all with the aim to create a series of recommendations and good practices for youth organisations, local service providers and law enforcement agencies on how to reach and support, and empower rural LGBTQI youth.

We thank our amazing partners the Youth Department of the Council of Europe, the European Youth Centre in Budapest, our local IGLYO team, and anyone involved in the organisation of the Study Session. We also thank our amazing participants for their contributions, engagement, and commitment! We couldn't prouder of the work that was achieved and look very much forward to publishing the recommendations that were worked on in the session. 

‍This study session is a cooperation between IGLYO and the Youth Department of the Council of Europe, as part of the Youth for Democracy programme.