Labris launches “Somewhere to Go” fund for lesbian and LBTQ women leaving violence

Labris, the Belgrade-based organisation for lesbian human rights, has launched a campaign called “Da ima gde da ode” (“Somewhere to Go”) to raise 425,000 dinars (about €3,600) by 14 December for a new Emergency Support Fund for lesbian and other LBTQ women leaving violence. The campaign started on 4 November.

The fund will pay for temporary safe accommodation, transport to a safe location and packages of basic necessities for women in crisis. Labris says 70 per cent of the money will go on accommodation, 10 per cent on transport and 20 per cent on emergency packages of food, hygiene products and other essentials. The target is meant to cover the fund’s first ten months.

When there is nowhere to go

For 30 years Labris has supported lesbian, bisexual, trans and queer women in Serbia with free psychological counselling, legal aid and an SOS helpline. The group says that when a woman decides to leave a violent situation, what is most often missing is the most basic thing: a safe place to stay.

Many LBTQ women, Labris explains, have no family or friends to take them in. Some have been rejected because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, some fear judgement and discrimination, and others simply cannot afford temporary accommodation. Without somewhere safe to go, leaving can become even more dangerous.

“Psychological and legal support are important steps, but when a woman has to leave her home, she also needs an actual safe place to be,” the organisation said. “We want a woman who has found the strength to leave not to have to wonder where she will spend the next night.”

Donations can be made through the Serbian crowdfunding platform Donacije.rs, under the project “Labris: Da ima gde da ode”.

Source: ozonpress.net, nova.rs, labris.org.rs. English adaptation: gay-serbia.com.