The Barcelona LGBTI Centre has today launched the campaign “Això va per tu!” (This is for you), with the aim of making lesbians and bisexuals aware of the free support services the centre offers and getting them to come and use them.
The campaign, based on an information video which will be disseminated on social networks, aims to appeal to lesbian and bisexual people, regardless of the words they use to self-identify themselves and has been created by Katu Huidobro and Maria Berzosa, with illustrations by arba Arellano Arnedo.
In the six years since it opened, the Centre has attended to a total of 3,153 people. Of this total, around half (some 46.78%) have been cisgender men, while the other half have been cisgender women, trans people, non-binary people and other identities.
The Centre offers a psychological support service for trans and non-binary people and the Trans and Non-Binary Group, which meets once a month, and which is a space for socialising with other people who are questioning their gender
Free support services specifically for lesbian and bisexual people offered at the centre are apending issue, and this is due to multiple factors, both structural and biases in the design of the service.
Structural shortfalls
The Centre recognises that, at a structural level, lesbians and bisexuals tend to come forward less for services addressing their wellbeing and self care, compared to cisgender men.
On the other hand, lesbians and bisexuals often feel shut out of public services in general, such as health services or certain bureaucratic procedures, having had negative experiences in care services or having been subject to stigma, discrimination and violence.
For example, in the specific case of sexual health services, the lack of information on preventing STIs in sexual relations between people with a vulva, the invisibility and stigmatisation of bisexuals, or violence towards trans women, along with their pathologisation and denial of medical care, are some of the shortcomings denounced by platforms such as the National Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Trans, Bisexuals, Intersex, and more (FELGTBI+).
Furthermore, the care services need to recognise, from an intersectional perspective, the different factors of oppression that may impact the life experiences of a person (race, socio-economic situation, migration status, health, age, etc.) so as not to perpetuate discrimination and not revictimise people.
All these factors have an impact when it comes to requesting support from services, and they end up affecting people’s wellbeing and physical, psychological, social and emotional health.
Differences between letters and androcentric bias
At the same time, differences can be observed between the visibility of the different letters of the LGTBIQA+ collective. Historically, more attention has been given to the experiences of gay men. In fact, in many cases, the design of services aimed at the LGTBIQA+ collective adheres to an androcentric bias, very much based on the perspectives of gay men which, unintentionally, tend to overshadow and even overlook the needs, experiences and problems that affect lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, non-binary, intersex or asexual people.
The LGBTI Centre is making efforts to incorporate an intersectional feminist perspective into its service design, as part of a comprehensive review of its reception service and specialist services.
Servei d’acollida i serveis especialitzats
We want to do our bit to provide lesbians and bisexuals with access to free support services that are friendly and welcoming of their diversities.
To this end, the LGBTI Centre reception service takes a sensitive, empathic and welcoming approach welcoming all LGTBIQA+ people and addressing their specific needs both from the point of view of sexual, affective and gender diversity, and other intersecting factors that might come into play (migration situation, age, socio-economic situations, health conditions, and so on).
The service is run by workers from the social sphere who, through active listening and unhurried support, help to identify the person’s needs from a holistic perspective, taking into account all the circumstances that surround them. For example, they take into account how situations that affect material wellbeing (lack of housing, precarious employment) can have a significant emotional impact.
Once people have been seen by the reception service, they can be referred to the Centre’s specialist services:
–Psychological support: a psychologist addresses the psychological and emotional needs of the person, offering a maximum of 10 sessions.
–Support for trans and/or non-binary people: a specialist psychologist offers emotional support and assistance to trans and non-binary people.
–Legal advice: a specialist lawyer addresses any specific legal queries on issues such as political asylum on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, marriage and child custody, legal procedures to change name and sex on documentation, and situations of violence and discrimination, among others.
In addition to these services, the professionals from the reception service can also refer service users to the specialist services offered by other entities or municipal public services, such as the Office for Non-Discrimination (OND); the Plural, Masculinities Centre, aimed at members of the male population who want to move towards more open, respectful and healthy relational models; the Care, Recovery and Reception Service (SARA) for victims of gender-based violence; the Barcelona Social Emergency and Urgent Care Centre (CUESB); the Care Service for Immigrants, Emigrants and Refugees (SAIER) and the Servei Trànsit, run by the Generalitat de Catalunya, which provides socio-sanitary assistance to trans people, among other areas.
Who can request these support services?
The services are aimed at people who live, work or study in the city of Barcelona.
These are free services, aimed at LGTBIQA+ people, their families and friends.
The issues they wish to address must be linked to their experiences as LGTBIQA+ people or supporting someone from this collective.
How do you request an appointment?
There are a number of ways to request an appointment with the reception service:
–Sending an email to info@centrelgtbibcn.org
-Calling 93 880 51 11
-Requesting an appointment in person at the LGTBI Centre, situated on Carrer Comte Borrell, 22 (metro L2 Sant Antoni/ L3 Poble Sec)
The LGBTI Centre opening hours are as follows:
Monday to Friday, 10 am to 2 pm, and 3.30 pm to 8.30 pm.
Open on the second Saturday of the month, 10 am to 2 pm, and 3 pm to 8 pm.