“Legally Queer” is a dedicated initiative focused on exploring the legal landscape’s impact on Cyprus’ LGBTQI+ community. Our mission is to empower LGBTQI+ individuals by providing accessible insights into the legal issues affecting our daily lives and fundamental rights. Through informative discussions, we aim to foster awareness, address common challenges, and build connections within the community.

Our initiative goes beyond legal matters; it creates a space for LGBTQI+ individuals to connect and share experiences. By coming together, we can build a collective consciousness, highlighting shared struggles and triumphs. Through these interactions, we aspire to cultivate a stronger sense of unity and solidarity within the community. “Legally Queer” ultimately strives to facilitate open conversations, promote awareness, and strengthen the bonds that tie us together as LGBTQI+ individuals in Cyprus. 

In this iteration again in collaboration and hosted by sessions, this time in its second iteration at the SPEL State Gallery, Alexandros Efstathiou and Theo Ieronymides discussed the current status of the Hate Speech legislation — its implications, lack of enforcement, and the consequences this has on both protection and the prevention and prosecution of crimes motivated by gender expression and sexual orientation. 

The Q&A that followed focused on practical steps for informing our community about their rights and promoting better practices when it comes to reporting such incidents. A key point raised was the lack of a professional and adequate response from the Police, including their reluctance — and, in some cases, clear aversion and discriminatory behaviour — towards members of our community who report these incidents.