For LGBT people, relationships with parents and family have been and remain an important part in life and becoming as a person. Difficulties in relationships with loved ones often lead to increased stress and psychological problems. In our region, the family plays the role of not only moral, but also economic support for young people. Breaking up with family because of sexual orientation and gender identity can put an LGBT person on the brink of survival. Therefore, working with parents is an integral part of the organization's work.
The goal of the camp was to strengthen the potential of the parent club "Medusa", through creating a space for discussing urgent needs, requests and needs, and for building a sincere, fruitful dialogue. Through personal stories, examples and answers to uncomfortable questions, the participants were given the opportunity to find out what different LGBT people in Kyrgyzstan are and what difficulties they face. Likewise, parents shared their stories and the difficulties they faced and may face, so that we can better understand each other and be able to support.
For three days, the members of the "Medusa" club mastered the tools of online work and mobilized themselves through creative activities and situational games. In the future, parental involvement in "Labrys" advocacy will expand. Parents who have gone through the path of accepting LGBT people expressed their desire and readiness to continue working with the acquired skills.
Any serious changes take time, patience, work on yourself, the world around you. All this requires a willingness to change, first of all, internal. The parent camp has already become our tradition and an annual platform for joint development and work to improve the quality of life of LGBT people in Central Asia.