RFSL

Updated: 15/07/2018

Solution provider

Sweden
RFSL (Riksförbundet för homosexuellas, bisexuellas, transpersoners och queeras rättigheter) The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Rights, is a non-profit organization founded in 1950 that works with and for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans people, and individuals with queer identities. The organisation is politically and religiously independent.

RFSL works locally, nationally and internationally and is an ever growing organisation with about 7000 members and 38 branches all over Sweden.
RFSL runs many different activities and projects such as:
• Crime victim support, since 1998 RFSL has offered support to LGBTQ people who have experienced abuse, threats, and violence. With about 200 people seeking support every year.
• Education and LGBTQ-certifying unit offering certification courses focusing on LGBTQ people’s experiences and the norms in our society. It also addresses different grounds of discrimination from an intersectional perspective – how different discriminatory powers structures work together.
• Asylum seekers support and advocacy. RFSL has worked with asylum issues since 1972. The Newcomers network started up in 2010 and since 2014, more and more priority has been put to the organisation’s asylum work – including the hiring of two asylum lawyers and two national coordinators for the Newcomers network.
• HIV and health. HIV prevention has been an important part of RFSL’s work since 1982. and a unit that works exclusively with HIV and health. RFSL’s general health work includes all of the LGBTQ community. RFSL’s HIV prevention work has contributed to a higher level of knowledge about HIV and other STI in our target groups, and has succeeded in making LGBTQ quality of life issues a priority for the authorities.
• RFSL’s international work is also extensive and we cooperate with LGBTQ organisations in, for example, Uganda and Indonesia. RFSL also works continually with political advocacy and opinion making.

At branch level RFSL is a social meeting place where members can partake in different activities, such as lectures, café nights, pride celebrations and workshops.
The congress is RFSL’s highest decision making body. It is made up of representatives from all the organisations branches and the youth organisation.
A Board of Trustees is elected at RFSL’s congress and is in charge of implementing the operational plan that the congress determines.


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