Breaking the Isolation of the LGBT Community

LGBT issues are generally silenced in Albania, and the lives of LGBT persons are marked by isolation and lack of support. In order to terminate their isolation Civil Rights Defenders strive to promote and empower the LGBT community in cooperation with the organisation Aleanca.

In 2010 Civil Rights Defenders initiated cooperation with the organisation Aleanca (formally registered in 2009). Together we work to establish a safe space for regular activities in Tirana; with training sessions for the activists, discussion groups for the community and awareness-raising activities. With this initiative we hope to increase the knowledge within the LGBT community about their rights.

Aleanca is often contacted by people who say that they had never met other gays and lesbians, and that they hadn’t known where to turn for support. Therefore we also help individual LGBT persons to find support and needed resources.

In 2010 the Albanian Parliament passed an all-inclusive Law against discrimination. This was an important milestone and a tool for all those fighting against discrimination in Albania.

But it is only when LGBT persons understand the law fully that they are able to claim their rights and make sure that they are protected in practice.