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We are celebrating the “finished” product of RICE 2020 – The Rainbow Index of Churches in Europe. For this occasion, the researchers and Forum representatives who were working on this research were interviewed. The whole interviews (there are two) will be published on Monday, May 10th. For now, you can see this overview. Join the live presentation on Saturday, May 8th from 11:30 to 12:45.

Shanon is a life-long activist and advocate for LGBT rights. They share their process of discovering who they are in a time where Trans* wasn’t a known identity, let alone being nonbinary. They talk of their experience, blessing, and challenges of going into transition, the challenges for friends and family, but also of having fun while people try to put them into a binary context.

Many of us living in Europe fight for the rights of LGBT+ people and we see the problems and discrimination, but we don’t really think about being prosecuted. Poland wasn’t a leading country in LGBT+ rights, but it wasn’t this bad either. A populist government made it possible to scapegoat a minority that managed to make progress. For many of them, it seems like it was for nothing. What does one do when the church and government turn against them? When they make use of a law that was intended to protect minority religions? How does someone keep their hopes up when they are threatened by being locked up in a prison or mental hospital for doing an LGBT+ mass (Chruch service)?

Gender is a hot topic in many countries, especially the Eastern European ones. We live in a binary world and many are trying to keep the divide clearly defined. Fear is being spread of what would happen if we lose this “set” distinction. But what about those people who don’t fit this binary image? How is it being in the middle, not identifying with the one or the other gender?

Whenever we talk about different sexualities, we use the abbreviation LGBT+. Yet we barely mention or talk about B, maybe a little bit more about T. Carol shepherd talks about her experience as a Bisexual person, how she started her journey of writing books on Bisexuality, and gives an interesting insight on misconceptions and prejudices about Bisexual people.

Talking about mental health is still a challenge. The ‘hush-hush’ strategy is still prevalent when it comes to this topic. But mental health is not just about getting help when we do not feel well. It is about caring for ourselves. It is about regular check-ups and keeping our minds healthy, and of course, it is also about healing. Taking some simple steps can help us maintain our health and even find our way home to “I am enough”.

There are still too many countries in the world where being LGBT is illegal. At least being caught in a same-sex relationship. This often leads to greater discrimination within their own communities and families with horrible consequences. Monika tells her story of running for her life in the hope of a better future. Arriving in a new country she faces old and new challenges that go on for years and years. Still, there is light because of Churches and Organisations that embrace her and offer support.