New campaign to promote the LGBTI helpline

A NEW public awareness campaign has been launched by the Queer Cyprus Association to promote a helpline for issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community.

The Queer Cyprus helpline — backed by the European Union and the EU-funded Turkish Cypriot project Civic Space — has been up and running since last November, when it was launched to mark International Transgender Day of Remembrance.

The new publicity campaign aims to promote the helpline among the wider community and to reach out to more people who might need help and advice on LGBTI-related matters. Six short public information announcements have been prepared, which will be shared via social media channels.

Messages contained within the adverts, which each end with the phrase “we can respond to your questions together”, include “We are not wrong, we are not alone”, “Choose solidarity, not loneliness”, “Choose your student, not homophobia”, “Choose your brother/sister not biphobia” and “Choose your friend, not transphobia”.

A spokesman for the Queer Cyprus Association told Cyprus Today trained volunteers are on hand to provide confidential advice to people calling the helpline.

“Even though the hotline has not been actively promoted . . . it has received some 50 phone calls over the last three to four months,” the spokesman said.

“The phone calls are from LGBTI people as well as their friends and relatives. What we aim to provide is scientific and correct information to any person who needs advice on those issues, under the principles of confidentiality. We want to inform people about these issues and . . . the rights of LGBTI people and also to overcome the taboos in society against them.”

Questions about gender orientation, sexual health, and the military have been among those received by the hotline.

“We also tell the people . . . about scientific documents and books or academic studies on the issues,” the spokesman added.

“If need be, we also direct them to specialist or legal experts.”

Queer Cyprus is also working on a booklet which will include answers to frequently asked questions, to be published “soon”. Its content will also be available online. The Queer Cyprus helpline can be contacted on 0542 858 5847 on weekdays from 2pm to 7pm.