Aleanca LGBT and Pro LGBT launch “PRIDE in Albania” project

After a week full with activities in the framework of the IDAHOT Day (International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia), LGBT Rights Organizations in Albania, the LGBT Alliance and Pro LGBT together with IREX Europe, which is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation working to improve education, strengthen independent media, reduce conflict, and support democracy and human rights, launched the PRIDE project – Promoting Rights, Inclusion, Dignity and Equality for LGBT in Albania.

The PRIDE project aims to empower LGBT organizations and the role of activists in promoting acceptance, inclusion, and protection of the LGBTI minority in rural and urban Albania. Particular focus will be on protecting risked LGBT youth, promoting respect for the fundamental rights of LGBT people, and strengthening the voice of LGBT people in the media.

The project has 3 specific objectives:

1. Strengthen the capacity of LGBT organizations and increase their ability to improve the acceptance of the LGBTI community by the general population.
2. To increase access to protection and counseling support, as well as access to employment opportunities for the LGBT community, with a special focus on ensuring access to basic services for at-risk young LGBT.
3. To promote a more positive image of the LGBT community and improve their acceptance by the general population, both through media campaigns and offline activities

From this project beneficiaries are the LGBT Alliance, which fights against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity through community empowerment, Pro LGBT as an organization that protects LGBT rights in Albania and affirms in the Albanian media the principle that LGBT rights are human rights, and also the Streha center which accommodates and empowers homeless and endangered LGBT youth. These organizations will be trained to do their job more effectively and provide improved services to the LGBTI community. Also, beneficiaries will be hundreds of vulnerable LGBT persons, who will benefit from improved services and will be more empowered in finding employment.

Many LGBT / LGBT friendly activists or organizations will participate in awareness raising grants and will be supported in implementing their projects and dozens of journalists from the regions will benefit from a comprehensive approach to ethics and human rights in general, with a specific focus on LGBT issues.

The project will work to promote a more positive image of the LGBTI community through media campaigns and highlighting positive models.

This project is implemented by IREX Europe in partnership with the LGBT Alliance and Pro LGBT and is financially supported by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Pro LGBT/ LGBT Alliance and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.