LGBTQIA+

Emilia-Romagna is a region that hosts a large lesbian, gay, bi and trans community, with a strong tradition of protecting the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and constantly renews its commitment to be an increasingly LGBT-friendly region, recognized internationally.

Rights

The aim is to consolidate in the vast territory of Emilia-Romagna an active presence of associations of the LGBTQIA+ community which carries out actions, services, projects and interventions aimed at preventing and removing all forms of discrimination, protecting the rights of individuals and the LGBTQIA+ community, to ensure that every citizen can freely live their identity and sexual orientation, avoiding being subjected to discrimination due to the persistence of homophobic, transphobic and sexist stereotypes.

The Emilia-Romagna region is a member of the RE.A.DY network. RE.A.DY is the Italian network of regions, autonomous provinces and local authorities committed to preventing, tackling and overcoming discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and improving support to victims across the region.

In addition to the Region, some provinces, unions of municipalities and municipalities of the Emilia-Romagna region also adhere, the detailed list of which can be found here.

Other agreements and/or tables to which some local authorities of Emilia-Romagna adhere are the following:

Patto di collaborazione LGBT+ 2017-2021 (Bologna): it is a general collaboration agreement for the promotion and protection of the rights of the LGBT+ community in the city of Bologna, signed between the authorities and associations active for the rights of the community itself.
Tavolo interistituzionale per il contrasto all’omotransnegatività e per l’inclusione delle persone LGBT+ (Reggio Emilia): it was established in 2015 with the involvement, by the municipal administration of Reggio Emilia, of various institutional subjects in order to develop specific intervention plans and shared strategies for overcoming discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Protocollo d'intesa per azioni di promozione di una cultura dei diritti e contrasto alle discriminazioni LGBT (Parma): signed in 2021 by the institutions, authorities, trade union organisations, associations representing civil society, it is a tool that is implemented for the definition of actions, intervention strategies and for contrasting discrimination and violence caused by sexual orientation and from gender identity.

Services and support

The Emilia-Romagna Region promotes multiple services that intend to support the LGBT+ community without distinction, avoiding the fight against discrimination and violence. It promotes a culture of respect, well-being, rights, contributing to a more inclusive and less conflictual society, meeting the needs and expectations of citizens through the following services:

• Information services to allow people to express their problems and ask questions about the functioning of the service itself and allows the operator to direct the person to one of the other specific LGBT+ desks

Bologna Accoglienza in TRANSito (MIT)

Sportello LGB-Trans (Modena)

Sportello LGBT+ (Parma)

Centro LGBT+ (Ravenna)

• Services for people to provide the LGBT+ people with listening services, psychological support, projects, interventions and actions

Lesbian domestic abuse helpline (Lesbiche Bologna): helpline for lesbian, bisexual and trans women suffering domestic abuse, or who need support for their sexuality and/or gender identity.

Accoglienza e ascolto* (LGBT+ Anti-Discrimination Center Ravenna): it is a listening and welcoming space that allows people to express their problems and ask questions about the functioning of the service.

Casa Arcobaleno* (Arcigay Reggio Emilia): it is a house to welcome LGBTI+ people who are victims of violence and homo-bi-transphobia in Emilia-Romagna and Italy.

E.A.G.L.E.* Eventi Artistici Generatori Libertà Espressive (Circolo Eagle Nest in collaboration with Gaylex e PLUS): prevention of discrimination and physical and mental protection of LGBT+ people carried out through consultancy and training interventions on the rights of LGBT+ people.

Friendly home* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): the project foresees the creation of prestigious housing structures dedicated to self-sufficient seniors (55-75 years) and explicitly open to LGBT+ people.

Formazione esterna* (LGBT+ Anti-Discrimination Center Ravenna): the centre intends to offer training, information and awareness-raising activities on issues concerning language, genders, sexual and gender identities, sexualities and sexual orientations starting from a multidisciplinary perspective that takes into account intercultural complexities and multiple discrimination.

Generi di conforto* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): welcomes homeless people, offering a daytime place of socialisation and refuge where they can find conviviality, listening, psychological support and basic necessities, giving opportunities for empowerment and an opportunity to familiarise themselves with LGBT+ people by questioning prejudices and clichés.

Gruppo salute* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): sexual health information and counselling service; distribution of information and prevention material at the premises frequented by the LGBT+ community.

Hate Crimes No More* (Centro Risorse LGBT+): tools for monitoring hate crimes: it is a collection, on a dedicated site of online reports of all crimes and other acts motivated by homo-bi-transphobic hatred towards citizens of the metropolitan city of Bologna.

Linea Lesbica* (Lesbiche Bologna): helpline for all women who experience a condition of isolation, discrimination, suffering and non-acceptance of themselves and their sexual identity.

Plus – BLQ Check Point* (RER in collaboration with USL and Comune di Bologna): is a facility dedicated to rapid testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in an out-of-hospital environment.

Salotto Agedo* (Agedo Bologna): periodic socialisation appointment for parents, family members and friends of LGBT+ people, to encourage the exchange of experiences, overcome doubts and difficulties that arise from being with LGBT+ people.

Sportello di consulenza giuridica e mediazione familiare* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): weekly legal consultancy service for the protection of the rights of LGBT+ people.

Sportello di consulenza professionale a carattere psicologico* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): psychological help desk for people with problems of internalised homophobia, complex family relationships, addictions of various kinds, difficulties in social relationships and in accepting their sexual orientation.

Sportello casa* (LGBT+ Anti-Discrimination Center Ravenna): provides an orientation service aimed at giving indications on housing opportunities in the area.

Sportello L (legale)* (Lesbiche Bologna): offers first level assistance on issues related to family rights and rights in terms of work, parenting, gender discrimination.

Sportello lavoro* (LGBT+ Anti-Discrimination Center Ravenna): provides a support, guidance and accompaniment service to access useful channels for job seekers, taking into account the person's skills, characteristics, history and perspectives reviewing their professional and educational path.

Sportello legale* (LGBT+ Anti-Discrimination Center Ravenna): individual legal advice for civil, criminal, administrative matters and on immigration and labour issues carried out exclusively by experienced lawyers, regularly registered in the free court.

Supporto e consulenza “Giuridico”* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): service for the promotion and dissemination of legal culture and its jurisprudential evolution in the field of LGBT+ rights through the organisation of conferences and meetings.

Supporto psicologico* (LGBT+ Anti-Discrimination Center Ravenna): intends to offer a space for attentive listening and short courses of support, giving the person the opportunity to express the discomfort and suffering experienced, to soothe and process the discriminatory experience through words.

Telefono amico LGBT* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): daily evening telephone desk to report situations of hardship, discrimination, stigma.

Via Luna* (MIT): the project foresees harm reduction and conflict mediation activities in the world of street and apartment prostitution.

School and education services to create a more open and inclusive social and cultural environment by educating about differences and to prevent and counter the formation of stereotypes and prejudices (learning, workshops, etc.)

Educare alle differenze* (Comune di Bologna): provides for the creation of awareness-raising courses on the respect and promotion of gender differences to promote an open and inclusive school environment.

Facciamo la differenza* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): courses aimed at providing adequate tools to propose inclusive training courses in educational contexts for 0-6 years that respect the individual and family differences of which girls, boys and parents are bearers.

Formazione nei servizi delle istituzioni e amministrazioni pubbliche* (Comune di Reggio Emilia): joint courses with the institutions participating in the Roundtable to fight homotransnegativity and to promote the inclusion of LGBT+ people.

La separazione nelle coppie LGBT, strategie e strumenti* (Famiglie Arcobaleno): information and education on legislation on homoparental families; relational dynamics; possible scenarios in case of separation.

Pillole di diritti* (Gay Lex): literacy courses on the rights of LGBT+ people.

Progetto scuola e formazione* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): education courses on otherness and prevention of bullying, in particular those with a homophobic background, aimed at students of first and second grade secondary schools in the metropolitan area of Bologna.

Same. same, but different* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): film screenings followed by a debate on the themes explored in the films, aimed at students from Bologna high schools and their teachers (it intends to educate the new generations to respect differences).

Tante storie tutte bellissime* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): cycles of animated readings and workshops aimed at children aged 3-10 and their families where stories representing all the differences are read and shared.

Una bella differenza* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): animated readings and workshops aimed at adolescents with the aim of promoting respect and appreciation of every difference to prevent the structuring of prejudices and the consequent bullying phenomena against peers, but also gender-based violence in adulthood.

Culture and socialisation services to create a more open and inclusive social and cultural environment, aimed at countering stereotypes and breaking down prejudices (reading, cinema, music, dance, etc.)

Bologna LGBT+ friendly (Bologna Welcome): a guide to the most representative places for the LGBT+ community in Bologna: meeting places, entertainment venues and places in the city that welcome the LGBT+ community without prejudice and are openly gay-friendly.

Gender Bender Festival (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): international festival of film screenings, dance and theatre shows, performances, visual arts exhibitions and installations, literature meetings and conferences, concerts, on imaginaries produced by contemporary culture linked to new representations of the body, gender identities and sexual orientations.

Performing gender – Dance makes differences (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): performing gender has the firm belief that gender, sexuality, LGBT+ identities, can be questioned and explored throughout the dance language and the local engagement of the community.

Teatro Arcobaleno (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): it’s an educational project with the aim of providing possible answers to the many questions that spontaneously arise today on the issues of gender differences to overcome prejudices, stereotypes and confused clichés in a shared way through theatrical performances.

Various Voices (Komos): it is the most important LGBT+ choir festival in Europe, with LGBT+ choirs and musicians from Europe and all over the world.

Centro di documentazione Cassero/ Biblioteca* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): it keeps documents produced by individuals, groups, collectives and associations part of the movement for the civil rights of LGBT+ people.

Centro documentazione Flavia Madaschi* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): it is the largest specialised collection on LGBT+ issues on the national territory, a point of reference for the research and dissemination of works related to the LGBT+ community, and centre for the development of cultural enhancement proposals.

Concorso internazionale di composizione corale* (Komos): competition to promote and disseminate contemporary musical creativity and LGBT+ culture.

Divergenti festival della cultura trans* (MIT): international festival of trans cinema and culture to raise awareness of trans issues using as many media as possible to counter prejudices and stereotypes that still force trans people to marginalise.

Gruppo giovani* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): a free, accessible, welcoming space for young lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans, queers and heterosexuals, in which they navigate by sight in the exploration of identities, passions, differences, experiences and desires.

Gruppo migranti* (Arcigay Reggio Emilia): aims to discuss, listen and compare the experiences and difficulties of migrant people belonging to the LGBTI+ community.

Gruppo parlòm* (Arcigay Reggio Emilia): group for meeting and discussion and dialogue that is open to all, to address different topics, sometimes even not necessarily related to the lgbt+ world, but also to have some pizza, watch a film or simply play together.

Jump, oltre le barriere* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): it aims to focus on the issue of LGBT+ affectivity in disabled people.

Komos&co* (Komos): it is an annual musical review of cultured music proposed by choral formations, also from other countries. The evenings are open to a varied audience that loves music and have a beneficial nature in favour of local associations that fight against discrimination.

La Falla* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): Monthly almanac with 10 releases a year to deal with current topics and insights into LGBT+ issues and to inform about the initiatives that take place inside the Cassero LGBT Center, cultural productions and initiatives in the social sphere.

La Gilda* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): it’s a playful laboratory project that aims to bring together players of all kinds.

Liberamente, benessere & salute* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): it is a space for meeting and discussion, playing and analysing LGBT+ topics.

Linea accoglienza migranti* (Lesbiche Bologna con Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): socialisation meetings to welcome lesbians from other countries where they are discriminated and also lesbians who, while not suffering violence, are marginalised and experience loneliness and their condition with difficulty.

Ricreativo artistico* (Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): it is a set of aggregated activities aimed at the members of the club: disco, concerts, shows, themed events and experiments that offer entertainment opportunities to different audiences.

Supporto e sviluppo di attività sportiva* (Boga Sport e Arcigay Il Cassero Bologna): sporting and recreational activities to promote a society centered on the values of inclusion and hospitality through the organisation of sporting activities, creation of spaces for socialisation and organisation of events.

Associations

Below are the associations involved in the promotion and protection of the rights of individuals and the LGBT+ community in the Emilia Romagna region.

• Bologna

Agedo

Arcigay Il Cassero*

Boga Sport

Centro Risorse LGBTI*