Refugees and Queers

“Refugees and Queers. Civic education at the interface of LGBTIQ and flight/migration/asylum” was a model project of the Bundesstiftung Magnus Hirschfeld, which was funded by the Federal Agency for Civic Education (BpB) from 2016 to 2019. We are currently working together with various partners on the topic of queer refugees.

The aim of the 2016-2019 project was the nationwide networking, support and education of actors at the interface between LGBTIQ* and flight/migration/asylum.
The education and networking project was aimed at both LGBTIQ* people with a refugee background – including initiatives and organizations founded by them – and at institutions that inform, care for, accommodate, accompany or are in contact with the former groups of people.

For this purpose, workshops, networking meetings and further education courses were organised on demand up to 2020. The information poster Refugees Queers provides an overview of the project’s activities.

Note: unfortunately, we cannot provide advisory services for queer refugees.

In the cooperation project “Queer Conversations 2.0” with Quarteera e.V., ten podcast episodes in Russian and ten translations of the transcripts into German were created in 2023. The publication of the German texts was completed with the 17th volume of the Hirschfeld Lectures 2025 series.
The journalist Konstantin Kropotkin has conducted conversations with queer people from the territory of the former Soviet Union who now live in Germany or have lived here. One focus is on people from Ukraine. The project creates a multifaceted picture of the realities of life of queer people from ‘post-East’ and their experiences in their countries of origin, during forced migration and today in Germany.
Konstantin Kropotkin spoke to Loki von Dorn, one of the protagonists of the project, in 2024 as part of an online event for us.
The podcast episodes (Russian) can be heard on YouTube.
Further translations of podcast episodes into German have appeared on the portal Queer.de.

The Bundesstiftung Magnus Hirschfeld is part of the “Queer European Asylum Netzwerk” (QUEAN), established in 2019. The network consists of academics, activists and civil society organisations. Its aim is to draw attention to the specific situation of LSBTIQ* with a refugee background. Events are organised for this purpose and recommendations drawn up for political decision-makers..

You can find more information on the work of the network on its website, Facebook and X/Twitter (each in English).

Sexual orientation and gender identity as reason for flight
This information text provides an overview of sexual orientation and gender identity as reason for flight and asylum proceedings in Germany.

Database: specialist articles, legal sources and guidelines on the subject LSBTIQ* and flight
This database contains a comprehensive collection of specialist articles, legal sources and guidelines on the subject of LSBTIQ* and flight.

Conference transcript “Refugees & queers. Forschung und Bildung an der Schnittstelle von LSBTTIQ, Fluchtmigration und Emanzipationspolitiken ”
Publishers: Carolin Küppers, Bundesstiftung Magnus Hirschfeld
ISBN: 978-3-8376-4211-7
Published by Transcript Verlag

22.6., Berlin: “Flight, violence, trauma: the implementation of the Istanbul Convention for queer refugees in Germany”, organised by the Gunda Werner Institute and Queer European Asylum Network in cooperation with the Bundesstiftung Magnus Hirschfeld.

6.9., Berlin: “Intersectional Thinking about the Istanbul Convention”, organised by the Gunda Werner Institute and Queer European Asylum Network in cooperation with the Bundesstiftung Magnus Hirschfeld.

15.06., online in cooperation with the Queer European Asylum Netzwerk: “Who protects the Istanbul Convention? Queer women on the run need more security”

13.11., online in cooperation with the Queer European Asylum Netzwerk: Symposium “Recognition and prevention of violence against LSBTIQ people on the run”
16., 23. 30.10., online: Workshop series “Get involved! Political participation and empowerment”
29.04., online in cooperation with the Queer European Asylum Netzwerk: COVID-19 and Queer Asylum Symposium

25.05., Nuremberg: First networking meeting of Russian-speaking LGBTIQ initiatives
17.-19.05., Berlin: Further training course “Sex, Drugs Violence – Perspectives and Challenges of Queer Migration”

Participation in conferences 2019
28.11., Potsdam: Networking event of the Brandenburgischen Institut für Gesellschaft und Sicherheit gGmbH (BIGS)
04.07., Frankfurt a.M.: Conference “Under The European Asylum Rainbow: Intersectional Queer Challenges I”

09.11., Heidelberg: 2nd Networking Meeting 2018 “Refugees Queers”
19.10., Krölpa: 2nd Further training course “Leaving the queer bubble: PR and media training II”
31.08., Wolfenbüttel: 1st Further training course “Leaving the queer bubble: PR and media training I”
27.04., Berlin: 1st Networking Meeting 2018 “Refugees Queers”

24.11., Cologne: Networking meeting “Refugees Queers”
27.10., Bad Sachsa: 2nd Further training course “PR and media training”
13.-15.10., Krölpa: 1st Further training course “How do I design a further training course for government agencies?

26.11., Dresden: Specialist conference “Refugees Queers.” – Specialist conference on the restriction of refugees and LSBTTIQ emancipation politics – opportunities, challenges, state of research