Our Bodies, Our Boundaries
Maternal health care for lesbian, bisexual and queer people
The project “Our Bodies, Our Boundaries: Preventing Gender-Based Violence in Maternal Health Care for Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer People” focuses on the prevention of discrimination, violence and violated rights that lesbian, bisexual and queer people encounter in reproductive health systems and especially in assisted reproduction processes in Bulgaria.
What kind of issues do we address?
For many lesbian couples and non-binary people, access to safe, respectful, and professional reproductive health care remains limited or burdened by:
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Discriminatory practices and language.
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Institutional homophobia or incompetence.
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Lack of knowledge and preparation amongst medical professionals.
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Secondary victimization in cases of violence.
Project Goals
The project aims to create real pathways for support and change through:
Work with crisis centers
Collaborating with organizations providing protection and shelter to address the needs and realities of the LGBTQ+ community in a sensitive, professional, and non-judgmental manner.
Training for frontline workers
Medical professionals, social workers, psychologists, counselors and crisis center staff will receive professional training on:
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Work with LGBTQ+ needs
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Trauma-informed approaches
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Non-violent and anti-discriminatory communication
Analysis of the needs of people in the community
Exploring their experiences, challenges, barriers and risks in cases of violence, including those related to pregnancy and reproductive procedures.
National guidelines and standards of care
Creating practical guidelines and manuals to support professionals at the national level and lay the foundation for long-term institutional change.
Why is this important?
Because healthcare is a human right. Because pregnancy and parenthood should be a space of safety, not fear. Because violence and discrimination should not be an obstacle to the desire for a family.
The project is implemented with the support of the EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community and part of the program “Preventing and Combating Intersectional Violence against LGBTIQ Women and Non-Binary Persons”.