In 2022, Berdindu! dealt with more than 640 queries and advised more than 2,400 teachers to combat LGTBI+ discrimination

• The service, active since 2002, provides information and guidance to LGTBI+ people and their families, as well as to professionals in fields such as education
• The Minister for Equality, Justice and Social Policies, Nerea Melgosa, visits the Bilbao office: “We will continue working to guarantee equal opportunities and rights for all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity”

Bilbao, 08/05/2023

The Minister of Equality, Justice and Social Policies of the Basque Government, Nerea Melgosa, today visited the office of Berdindu! in Bilbao, a service dedicated to assisting and advising LGTBI+ people and their families, as well as those entities that request it. The visit is part of the Basque Government's strategy to give visibility to services for sexual and/or gender diversity, and to reaffirm its commitment to the fight against discrimination and the promotion of equality in Basque society.

Berdindu! is a public service financed by Equality, Justice and Social Policies of the Basque Government and managed by Anitz Federazioa, which is made up of the organisations Errepetuz, Aldarte, Gehitu and Guztiok.

During her visit, Melgosa was able to see first-hand the work carried out by the Berdindu! technical team, which provides information, guidance and advice to LGTBI+ people and their families, as well as to professionals in areas such as Education and other groups.

“Our work in the service is essential to provide support and guidance to LGTBI+ people and their families: from telling a lesbian couple about the procedures they have to follow to become mothers, to the doubts of the aitas and amas with their sons and daughters”, commented Sarai Montes, head of the Berdindu! office in Bilbao.

In the educational field, the work carried out by Berdindu! Eskolak, an initiative that arose in response to the need to address the challenges faced by the educational community in relation to sexual and gender diversity in primary and secondary education.

Berdindu! Eskolak seeks to guide and advise teachers, students and their families in the management of sexual and/or gender diversity when there are cases of LGTBIphobia or when a trans student is going through a personal process. In short, it aims to promote an inclusive and equitable educational environment that takes into account the realities and needs of all people, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Ander Prol, technician at Berdindu! Eskolak pointed out that “violence and discrimination against LGTBI people in schools not only affect their emotional and academic well-being, but also perpetuate harmful stereotypes and prejudices. For this reason, we work with teachers, students and families to promote an educational environment free of discrimination”.

For her part, Melgosa highlighted the importance of these services in building a fairer and more egalitarian society, and stressed the need to continue promoting public policies that promote equality and respect for diversity in all its forms.

“It is essential to highlight the fundamental role that these services play in creating a more equitable and just community. We must continue to promote public policies aimed at fostering equality and the recognition of diversity in all its dimensions”, said the councillor.

Melgosa also highlighted the work of Berdindu! in preventing and dealing with situations of discrimination and violence against LGTBI+ people.

“It is necessary to underline the outstanding work of Berdindu! in preventing and dealing with cases of discrimination and aggression towards LGTBI+ people. Their dedication is key to ensuring a more inclusive and respectful environment, in which all people, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, can live without fear or discrimination”.

Melgosa also pointed out that, despite the progress made in terms of equality and diversity in recent years, there are still pending challenges in the fight against discrimination and violence towards LGTBI+ people. She also advocated strengthening care services and promoting inclusion and coexistence in Basque society.

“Despite all these achievements, we are aware that there is still much to be done to guarantee equal opportunities and social justice for all people, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation”, the councillor reminded.

Finally, aware of the challenges and opportunities of the service at present, she thanked the work of the Berdindu! technical team, reiterating the support of the Basque Government in the fight against discrimination and the promotion of equality and diversity in all areas of Basque society.

“To address these vulnerabilities, it is necessary that society as a whole, including governments, non-governmental organisations and the private sector, work together”, said Melgosa.

The minister stated that “this visit is another step in the consolidation of a commitment that translates into concrete policies and actions, and that seeks to guarantee the full recognition and exercise of the rights of LGTBI+ people and their families in the Basque Country”.

Berdindu!’s data

Berdindu! is a benchmark service for LGTBI+ people and their families and has offices in the three Basque capitals. Since its creation in 2002, it has advised thousands of people and has carried out numerous awareness-raising and training activities throughout the autonomous community.

Last year, the Berdindu! offices dealt with a total of 648 applications (163 in Araba, 265 in Bizkaia and 220 in Gipuzkoa), of which 69% were first consultations and 31% follow-up care.

The care provided to migrants accounted for 15% of the total.

Regarding the users who made a request to the service, 54% were made by women, 32% by men, 3% by people of different genders. The rest, 11%, preferred not to answer this question.

The main categories in the type of consultations were primarily those related to sexual and/or gender identity (31%), legal queries (24%) and queries related to education (19%).

For its part, in Berdindu! Eskolak provided training in 68 schools, in which 2,413 teachers took part, an increase of 16% compared to 2021.

The service most in demand by schools is training for professionals (68 training sessions), followed by consultancy (37).

Berdindu! Report 2002: https://bit.ly/MemoriaBerdindu2022 [pdf]