QueerFemme and BraveLab

QueerFemme and BraveLab are self-support groups for LGBTI people in Bulgaria. QueerFemme is a group for LBT women and non-binary people and BraveLab is for LGBTI youth aged 14-29. Both groups aim to provide safer spaces for people to share their experiences and provide support to each other. The groups also work to empower participants by raising awareness about LGBTI and feminist topics, and providing opportunities for training and volunteering. The Covid-19 crisis has exacerbated the social inequalities affecting LGBTI communities. The pandemic and subsequent lockdown have created complex challenges and risks for the most marginalised individuals, which in Bulgaria are queer women, trans and intersex people and LGBTI youth. The pandemic has also had a strong impact on the mental and physical health of these groups. QueerFemme and BraveLab are working to organise an activist Academy for their members, the main goal of which is to multiply the number of people who are motivated to come up with new ways of engaging and supporting LGBTI youth and queer women during the pandemic.