27. February 2022

First exchange meeting between refugee LGBTIQ++ activists with DeBUG violence protection multipliers

From 19 to 21 November 2021, a meeting between the refugee LGBTIQ++ activists of “Queer Refugees Germany” and the multipliers for violence protection of all seven DeBUG contact points took place in Cologne for the first time. The DeBUG project pursues the goal of supporting refugee shelters as well as their operating and supporting organisations throughout Germany in improving the protection against violence. The programme of the meeting included various workshops with plenty of space for the exchange of experiences on the subject of violence against LGBTIQ+ refugees, a presentation on violence and trauma as well as a joint self-assertion training of all participants.

At the exchange meeting, the activists reported on their experiences as LGBTIQ++ persons in the refugee shelters of the federal states and municipalities. Their reports showed that there is still a great need to improve the protection of LGBTIQ++ people from homophobic and transphobic violence in the shelters. LGBTIQ++ refugees are still regularly threatened or victims of violence when they are outed in the shelter. An open life as a queer person is therefore hardly possible in collective accommodation. The DeBUG violence protection multipliers and the LGBTIQ++ activists have planned to exchange information regularly throughout Germany and also in the regions.