Sostegno alle vittime di violenza familiare – Refuge LGBT+. Phase II
Supporting young victims, aged 16 to 26, of family violence due to being LGBT+, and who have been expelled from their homes or subjected to violence and abuse within their families.
Starting date
30 April 2024Duration
12 monthsRealized by:
Gay center / Gay help lineObjectives
Ensure the continuity of the Gay Help Line service and the Refuge LGBTQ+ shelter by maintaining a competent operational staff available 365 days a year, alongside mediators and consultants working in synergy with Gay Center volunteers.
Implement REFUGE LGBT+ CoHousing, a new shelter aimed at users who have already completed a journey at Refuge LGBT+ or similar facilities and are now ready to begin a path toward semi-autonomy.
Provide all users with professional support from psychologists, mediators, doctors, and legal experts, along with the involvement of an external educator and trainers.
The project, continuing from its first year, involves integrated actions to support LGBT+ victims of family violence, including the opening of a new shelter.
In Italy, there are approximately 21,000 reported cases of homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia each year to the Gay Help Line 800 713 713. Among these, around 300-400 young people face severe family abuse because of their LGBT+ identity, including minors and young adults up to around 26 years old.
The project aims to address these cases by providing a second-level service that complements the Gay Help Line to manage this type of user. The project offers a range of services, from assisting young LGBT+ victims to creating a personalized plan to escape discriminatory situations, starting, where possible, with family mediation.
In the most severe cases, involving minors aged at least 16 and adults up to 26 years old, entry into the Refuge LGBT+ shelter can be activated. All users are also offered legal, psychological, and medical support.
Users remain at the Refuge LGBT+ facility until they achieve autonomy, with continued support even after leaving the shelter or after the end of their consultation period.
In this second year of the project, REFUGE LGBT+ CoHousing will also be opened in a property confiscated from the mafia. This additional space will provide three places for users who have already undergone a journey at facilities like Refuge LGBT+ or similar and are ready to embark on a path toward semi-autonomy.
