Support for LGBTQI* Students in Vienna: Counseling Centers for Queer Students
Vienna, the vibrant city of Austria, welcomes a wide variety of identities, lifestyles, and sexual orientations. It is a city that prides itself on being inclusive and supportive, offering a multitude of resources and organizations for the LGBTQI+ community.
One of the key institutions is the Department for Queer Matters at the University of Vienna. This department serves as a contact point for students of the LGBTQI+ community, offering help, information, and support. The university also offers a fund for young researchers working on LGBTQI* topics, with funding amounts of up to €1,500 (as of July 2020).
The ÖH University of Vienna is not the only educational institution in Vienna that supports the LGBTQI+ community. The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna has a department dedicated to queer matters, known as the Queer Department. The ÖH BOKU Vienna Queer Unit offers consultation hours by appointment. Similarly, the MedUni Vienna has a network for LGBTQI community members, employees, students, and supporters called the Rainbow group*.
For those confronted with discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, WASt - Vienna Anti-Discrimination Agency for Same-Sex and Transgender Lifestyles provides individual support. HOSI Vienna, an organization that represents the interests of lesbians and gays in Austria, offers a wide variety of groups for exchanging ideas and getting to know each other.
Vienna's student housing agency, the Gemeinnützige Studentenwohnbau AG, provides accommodation in prime locations for students looking for a place to stay. The ÖH University of Vienna fund for feminist / queer young researchers also offers financial support for scientific theses and projects by students dedicated to feminist, queer, or anti-racist topics.
In addition to these resources, Vienna offers a number of community support groups. Notable among these is Afro Rainbow Austria, a safer space specifically for Black LGBTQI+ people in Vienna. The city also includes inclusive and supportive services within the homeless care system, such as Neunerhaus café, which offers accessible meals and multilingual social workers that assist marginalized groups including LGBTQI+ individuals experiencing homelessness.
On a broader European level, ILGA-Europe, headquartered in Europe and active in Vienna, works extensively for LGBTQI+ rights, safety, and equality and offers resources for activists. Sports inclusion is promoted by the European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF), which also hosts the EuroGames event. Vienna was fortunate enough to be a host city for EuroGames 2024, an initiative that fights discrimination in sport based on gender identity and sexual orientation and fosters community through sports.
Vienna's history and remembrance culture also engage with LGBTQI+ issues. Projects connected to the Mauthausen Memorial commemorate LGBTQI+ victims of Nazi persecution and promote awareness of ongoing LGBTQI+ rights struggles.
In a nutshell, Vienna supports the LGBTQI+ community through local groups like Afro Rainbow Austria, social services such as Neunerhaus, continental networks like ILGA-Europe, sport-focused organizations including EGLSF with major events like EuroGames, and remembrance projects tied to LGBTQI+ history and rights advocacy.
Vienna was even named "Destination of the Year 2018" at the Australian LGBTQI Awards, a testament to its commitment to the LGBTQI+ community. Whether you're looking for a place to party, a supportive community, or a city that values and respects all identities, Vienna is the place to be.
The University of Vienna and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna have departments dedicated to the support and advancement of education and self-development for the LGBTQI+ community, known as the Department for Queer Matters and the Queer Department respectively.WASt - Vienna Anti-Discrimination Agency for Same-Sex and Transgender Lifestyles offers individual support for those confronted with discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, while HOSI Vienna provides a safe space for lesbians and gays to exchange ideas and build connections.
