Presentation by George K. Charonis from Color Youth (Greece) & IGLYO on living in Greece as an LGBTQ young person delivered at the LGBT Youth & Social Inclusion Conference (Dublin, June 17th 2013) an associated Irish Presidency event. This conference was supported by the Department of Children & Youth Affairs (Ireland). It was organised in collaboration with ILGA-Europe, the International LGBTQ Youth & Student Organisation (IGLYO), the National Youth Council of Ireland and the European Youth Forum. Find out more about the conference on our website here: http://www.belongto.org/pro/page.aspx?subsectionid=9134

1. Life in Greece as an LGBTQ Young Person
LGBT Youth & Social Inclusion Conference
Dublin – 18 June 2013
George-Konstantinos Charonis
Management Team Member & Think Tank Group Coordinator
Colour Youth – Athens LGBTQ Youth Community

2. Colour Youth
Athens LGBTQ Youth Community
• Community-based youth NGO
• Three years unofficially but officially since March 2012
• Approximately 70 official members + many friends
• Strong online presence – over 2.8k Facebook ‘likes’
• IGLYO member organisation
• Weekly open meetings
• Awareness campaigns
• Defending & extending the rights of LGBTQ youth

4. Issues faced
• Racism/Homophobia
– At school
– At work
• Fear of non-acceptance
– Family & close relatives/friends
• Media representation & stereotypes
• Lack of a community &internalised
homophobia

5. Case study: school bullying
• 1 in 4 school students (25%)  sexual
preferences are a cause for intimidation

6. Source: EU LGBT Survey, FRA

7. Case study: school bullying
• 1 in 4 school students (25%)  sexual preferences
are a cause for intimidation
• No research, lack of data
• Ministry of Education Observatory for the
Prevention of School Violence and Bullying
• Network against school bullying
• Trans student case
 Concealment &lack of visibility

8. Case study:
violence against LGBTQ persons
• Lack of evidence
• Lack of appropriate legal framework
• Lack of trust & support (coming out?)
• Autumn 2012: 2 homophobic attacks in
downtown Athens

9. Looking ahead
• Campaign: recording violence
• Partnerships & alliances
– National Commission for Human Rights
• Greek EU Presidency?
– Structured dialogue on Youth Participation

10. g.charonis@colouryouth.gr
facebook.com/lgbtq.youth.community.of.athens
@GeorgeKCharonis