Each year, Pride Month reminds us of the importance of upholding the right to non-discrimination and the freedom to be ourselves. It is a time to raise public awareness and promote a culture of respect and inclusion for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
However, contemporary society retains grey areas, where concepts such as non-discrimination, inclusion, sexuality, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation, are marginalised or contested. This creates social and political imbalances, fuelling marginalisation, stereotypes, and prejudice against those who do not conform to pre-established gender norms. Understanding and addressing stigma and other forms of discrimination – in schools, in the workplace, in legal and educational contexts, and in media representations – is essential to fostering an education that can reach everyone.
CESIE ETS, through its Rights and Justice Unit, actively works to promote gender equality, non-discrimination, and the social and political inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community. Our commitment takes shape through Comprehensive Sexuality Education at different levels. To recognise and affirm each person’s identity, promoting coexistence between gender identities and sexual orientations, we believe it is fundamental to adopt a holistic, non-binary, and intersectional approach – one that considers the simultaneous forms of oppression people may face, in terms of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class.
Below are the main actions we carry out to pursue these goals.
Psychological support and promotion of Comprehensive Sexuality Education as key tools to fight against gender-based violence
BOTTOM UP TALKS is putting in place counselling and listening services led by trained professionals in early identification, prevention, and protection from gender-based violence. These services will be active in Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Lithuania, and France to support young people, teachers, and families in secondary schools and non-formal educational settings.
Peer education activities are also planned through the Youth Advisory Board (YAB), as well as events and information sessions that will provide the skills needed to challenge gender and sexuality stereotypes. Part of the Rights and Justice Unit, the YAB is a cross-cutting initiative involving young people aged 15–25, who contribute to projects that affect them.
In its efforts to combat gender-based violence and promote gender equality through Comprehensive Sexuality Education, BOTTOM UP TALKS encourages a positive and holistic approach to sexuality. This includes healthy relationships, gender identity, sexual expression, emotional wellbeing and mental health, in addition to more commonly addressed issues like unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
Follow @TheGenderTalk on Instagram to watch change take shape in Palermo and across Europe! For more information, visit: cesie.org/en/project/bottomuptalks
Inclusion of LGBTQIA+ and SOGIESC* refugee and migrant communities
*Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics
The @NCLUSION programme gives visibility to the layers of marginalisation these individuals often face – many times in invisible ways. People belonging to these groups may face double or intersectional discrimination: fleeing violence and discrimination in their home countries and facing new obstacles in their host countries, such as language barriers, cultural differences, and institutional hurdles.
To address these issues, the project develops local inclusion actions involving activists, service providers, migrant communities, LGBTQIA+ organisations, and institutions. Key activities include: data collection and analysis, training pathways for key local stakeholders, specialised capacity-building programmes, and awareness campaigns.
To receive more information about the ongoing training opportunity, fill out this form.
To learn more about the project, visit: cesie.org/en/project/at-inclusion
Promoting the full inclusion of women* and LGBTQIA+ people in recreational and sports activities
*By women, we mean everyone who identifies as such.
Through the SISTERS programme, we aim to create inclusive sports environments where the complexity of individual identities is recognised through an intersectional approach. The project is fighting against discrimination, stereotypes, and violence based on gender and sexual orientation, which still limit equal access to sport today.
To achieve these goals, SISTERS implements a range of actions: interviews with sports sector representatives to analyse inequalities and good practices; international and local training for coaches, managers, athletes, and professionals on gender and inclusion; special sessions for young athletes on gender-sensitive governance; local sports tournaments designed to ensure full participation through inclusive practices; awareness campaigns and national and international final events.
For more information on the project, visit: cesie.org/en/project/sisters
In the fight against gender-based violence and in promoting gender equality, it is essential to adopt an approach that sees discrimination and inequality as interconnected issues – ones that lead to overlapping forms of oppression or privilege.
A future of respect: the Manifesto for advancing Comprehensive Sexuality Education
As we outlined in our Manifesto for Comprehensive Sexuality Education, a document supported by organisations and individuals in Italy and Europe, there is an urgent need to invest in educating younger generations to build a more just and fair society.
An inclusive, intersectional education that promotes empowerment and wellbeing – based on a culture of consent and respect for diversity – is key to shaping freer, more self-aware, and respectful individuals, capable of forming healthy relationships and ensuring a better future for all.
In Palermo, we actively support the promotion of comprehensive sexuality education together with the Consulta Cittadina. This ongoing initiative, in which CESIE ETS plays an active role, brings together civil society organisations, activists, professionals, experts, and anyone working on this topic in Palermo and the surrounding area. Its goal is to create an “educational community” capable of challenging stereotypes and gender norms that fuel violence, and to go beyond emergency responses.
Read and sign the manifesto here: thegendertalk.eu/manifesto-to-advance-comprehensive-sexuality-education
Palermo Pride 2025: Your wars are not our struggles
Once again, CESIE ETS and Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo Danilo Dolci – ETS support Palermo Pride, which returns on 21 June 2025 – with gathering at 4pm and departure at 5pm from Foro Italico (opposite Villa Giulia).
Palermo Pride denounces global conflicts and expansionist policies, affirming that there is no freedom under bombs, nor equality and visibility in times of war. The Pride fight stands for social justice, disarmament, antifascism, and transfeminism.
It advocates for free, accessible public healthcare, decent work for all, and streets that are spaces of liberation rather than oppression. It also calls for schools to talk about relationships, consent, bodies, and desire. Pride marches through the city to transform it, restoring to it a deep sense of liberation and community.
The full manifesto of the event is available online for those who wish to join the cause.
We hope to see you at Palermo Pride!
