The Barcelona LGBTI Centre celebrates six years of providing services and activities open to all
The Barcelona LGBTI Centre, the city’s benchmark facility when it comes to affective, sexual and gender diversity, this week celebrates its sixth anniversary as a space where people can get specialised help and support, and take part in activities that are open to everyone.
Since it opened on 19 January 2019, a total of 3,153 people have received help and guidance from the reception team, thanks to the service offered by a social worker and a social psychologist who provide a space for listening and comprehensive support to serve the needs of LGBTIQA+ people and those around them.
In 2024, this service provided assistance to a total of 777 people. Most of them were seeking advice or support on issues related to migration, asylum and refuge for reasons of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and explicit requests for psychological counselling and information on LGBTIQA+ community spaces and socialisation were also frequent.
The welcome service is complemented by the Centre’s specialised services, which include psychological counselling, legal advice and specialised support for transgender people.
It also works in a coordinated way with other support services, such as the Trànsit service, the Assistance, Recovery and Reception Service (SARA), the Barcelona Social Emergency Centre (CUESB) and the Care Service for Immigrants, Emigrants and Refugees (SAIER).
Information and activities programme
Since it opened, the LGBTI Centre has also dealt with numerous queries from the public on a range of topics, such as socialisation, protocols to follow in cases of violence or abuse, socio-health information (information on hormone therapy, reproductive issues and STI tests) as well as information for migrants and asylum seekers.
In these six years, the LGBTI Centre has handled a total of 25,861 queries, in person, by email and by phone.
The facility also offers a programme of cultural activities aimed at raising awareness among the general public of affective, sexual and gender diversity. Over 1,300 people took part in the cultural activities organised by the Centre in 2024, which included round tables, workshops, meetings, mutual support groups, book presentations, screenings and conferences.
Furthermore, the LGBTI Centre also houses the Armand de Fluviano Documentation Centre at the Casal Lambda (CDAF), which over the six years of its existence has been used by a total of 1,665 people who have consulted a range of materials from the historical archive, and the bibliographic collection specialising in LGBTIQA+ issues.
Networking with the neighbourhood and with local organisations
El LGTBI Centre has also organised a variety of festive activities, such as taking part in the local Sant Antoni neighbourhood festival, and the Festa del Centre, which marks the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
Moreover, the space hosts different activities organised by other LGBTIQA+ associations, some of which are resident organisations that regularly hold their activities at the facility.