Helpline 11528-By Your Side, a critical and unique helpline for Greece’s LGBT community, with people from all over the country accessing its service, has reopened after 8 months, thanks to a donation by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
Earlier this year, it was forced to close due to an unexpected interruption of funding.
Most who called 1152-By Your Side were young people up to the age of 29. They often had no one else to speak to about their sexuality or gender identity. But straight people often call the service for advice on how to help family members.
Institutional homophobia and transphobia, along with entrenched cultural stereotypes can make life very hard for LGBT people in Greece.