For young people
The PULS youth centre has been a contact point for young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer for ten years.
Young people aged 14 to 26 can meet here in the afternoons, cook together, play table football, play music and chat. PULS is a non-discriminatory space – without racism, sexism or exclusion based on religion, appearance or disability.
PULS offers events and workshops on sexual and gender diversity. And with their experience, the counselling team helps with fears and worries, because they all know what coming out means at work, school and at home. PULS is also a place for exchange on the topic of diversity of gender identity and sexual orientation – with school classes, teachers, multipliers and volunteers.
School of Diversity
"SCHULE DER VIELFALT" is a nationwide anti-discrimination network that awards schools that actively work against homophobia and transphobia and for acceptance of different ways of life.
In this context, "School of Diversity - School without Homophobia" is not a seal of quality, but a project in which open schools distinguish themselves through their activities for more acceptance as a quality feature for a good school climate. There are regular training sessions for teachers and SCHLAU workshops for pupils on the topic of LGBTIQ.
The project was launched in 2008 in North Rhine-Westphalia, where the Düsseldorf Joseph Beuys Comprehensive School was the first school to make its commitment against homophobia and transphobia and for diversity public. | www.schule-der-vielfalt.org
SMART EDUCATION
EDUCATION on sexual and gender diversity – that is SCHLAU (which means smart). The Düsseldorf project was founded back in the 1990s and laid the foundation for the nationwide network.
SCHLAU offers educational and anti-discrimination workshops on gender and sexual diversity for schools, sports clubs, youth centres and other youth institutions. The focus is on encounters and conversations between young people and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer teammates.
SCHLAU now cooperates with many schools in the Düsseldorf city area. In 2019, more than 2,000 people were reached with 111 workshops. | duesseldorf.schlau.nrw
For older people
In Düsseldorf, there are around 18,500 people over the age of 55 who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex. And the trend is rising. So far, there are hardly any offers for them – neither in the LGBTIQ community nor in institutions for open work with seniors. But even in old age, it is important to make different ways of life and identities visible and to appreciate them.
Since 2019, the Düsseldorf office ALTERN UNTERM REGENBOGEN (which means „ageing under the rainbow“) has been a platform and multiplier for LGBTIQ seniors. It networks, strengthens and creates offers for the community, such as group offers, open meetings, workshops and information events. The expert advisors are contact persons for professionals in senior citizen-related work and care for the topic of sexual and gender diversity.
FACHSTELLE „ALTERN UNTERM REGENBOGEN“ | Joint specialist centre of Aidshilfe Düsseldorf, AWO Düsseldorf and Frauenberatungsstelle Düsseldorf for LGBTI* from the age of 55. | www.alternuntermregenbogen.de
Housing project
VIELWÄNDEPLUS (which means „many walls plus“) is the name of a housing project group that has been meeting once a month at the AWO "zentrum plus" in Düsseldorf-Unterbilk since 2016. All participants are between 45 and 65 years old, and in addition to gays and lesbians, some straight people also participate. Their common goal is to grow old in a non-discriminatory environment in which the diversity of different lifestyles can be lived. | vielwaendeplus.de