SAPLINQ, O.Z.

Saplinq, o.z. is a Slovak NGO, established in April 2012 with the aim to develop young LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other non-straight, non-cis people) leaders and LGBT+ youth communities. Our target groups also include adult LGBT+ people and general public. Saplinq, o.z. has three main areas of activities: 1. International trainings for LGBT+ youth and LGBT+ youth workers, funded by the Erasmus+:Youth in Action programme and organising trainings in general 2. Košice PRIDE as a public, visible event focused on community-building in east Slovakia 3. PRIZMA - counselling and community centre in Košice We organize workshops and discussions for young people on topics related to LGBT+ identity, both trying to educate broader public and creating community spaces for LGBT+ youth. To achieve the latter goal, Saplinq, o.z. established in May 2012 a LGBT+ youth support and community group in Bratislava called Freeq (https://www.facebook.com/FreeQ.Bratislava/). In 2018, as a result of a community organising project, another LGBT+ youth group in Bratislava was established, called Feedbaq (https://www.facebook.com/my.sme.feedbaq). Saplinq’s educational focus shows also in various international educational events, mainly youth exchanges and training courses funded by the programme Erasmus+:Youth in Action. Since 2014, Saplinq has organised several TCs and YEs around topics of empowerment, acceptance, and LGBT+/human rights activism. Apart from that, we focus on organizing outside the capital and in September 2013 we held the very first Pride parade for the rights of LGBT+ people in Košice, PRIDE Rainbow Košice (now Košice PRIDE). Each year, we launch a long-term volunteering programme for the Košice PRIDE, that attracts mainly young people from Košice and the region. Over the course of few months, these volunteers are trained by our volunteer manager in various aspects, from the basics of LGBT+ vocabulary to team work and communication to safety and crowd control. These meetings are planned and the activities are run with the non-formal education methodology. Apart from Košice PRIDE, Saplinq, o.z. founded in 2018 the community and counselling centre for LGBT+ people in Košice - PRIZMA (https://www.facebook.com/prizmakosice/). As part of it’s activities, we started a Community Meetings Programme, organising weekly meetings for LGBT+ people in Košice. These meetings are sometimes unstructured and sometimes include a workshop, lecture or other planned activity. These meetings are held in our community space in Košice.