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IGLYO stands in solidarity with our Member Jugendnetzwerk Lambda e.V. following the recent and unexpected news that its vital funding framework will be discontinued.
Unless alternative funding is secured, this deeply concerning development will force the organisation to close at the end of the year.
A long-time IGLYO Member, Lambda has been a pillar for LGBTQI youth in Germany, acting as a lighthouse for many siblings in need. Since 1990, they have centred the needs of queer young people through passionate, innovative and caring work, providing them with opportunities to learn, grow, and connect, and making a point of honour to build bridges between urban and rural areas.
From nationwide counselling and in-person and online educational and empowerment events, all the way to national and international youth exchanges and political advocacy, their activities have allowed countless queer young people to find — often for the first time — a community that loves, supports, and protects them.
This decision to cut their main source of funding is about to relegate over 35 years of work to the dustbin. While the number of counselling enquiries and reports of suicide, self-harm or domestic violence Lambda receives continues to rise, many LGBTQI young people will lose access to vital services and will be deprived from the support and community Lambda has provided them with over the years.
IGLYO Board Member Samu/elle Striewski (They/them) commented: “In recent years, Lambda has championed in carrying out pivotal LGBTQI youth work — with increasing attention to queer youth who face overlapping forms of marginalisation. The termination of funding is not only a serious setback for the queer community, but for all of us who are committed to keeping spaces open for democratic exchange and education about the lived diversity in our societies.”
LGBTQI hate is on the rise across the globe, and we, queer young people, are the most vulnerable to it. Now is not the time to take away funding and resources, but rather to invest in civil society and long-term and sustainable support to ensure our rights are safeguarded and our safety ensured.
We express our most sincere solidarity with our Member Lambda and all queer young people in Germany and beyond who will be affected by this terrible decision and its devastating consequences.
We will keep supporting you, always. 💜