The HOSI Wien
HOSI Wien was founded in 1979 and is the largest political advocacy organization for LGBTIQ people in Austria. We strongly advocate for our concerns with ministers, members of parliament, and other politicians, as well as with parties, authorities, the media, and the public.
To achieve this, we organize political events such as the Rainbow Parade or IDAHOBIT, develop policy demands, give interviews, prepare information for social media, and, most importantly, maintain personal contacts with politicians and journalists to bring our perspectives into the conversation. To ensure that our demands represent as much of the LGBTIQ community as possible, we stay in close contact with other community organizations, both nationally and internationally.
Since 2010, we have been running our community center, Das Gugg, located at Heumühlgasse 14/1 in Vienna’s 4th district. Through our own events—such as group meetings, theater performances, readings, political discussions, community celebrations, exhibitions, and more—we provide an open space for the LGBTIQ community. Additionally, the premises of Das Gugg are made available to other queer organizations. You can find an overview of our events in our calendar.
We offer support for coming out and in cases of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity by providing low-threshold assistance and, when necessary, referring individuals to specialized partner organizations.
We see ourselves as a key point of contact for information on all aspects of sexual and gender diversity.
The People of HOSI Wien
Violence Prevention Officers:
HOSI Vienna rejects all forms of violence and discrimination and has developed its own prevention concept. If you would like to report an incident and/or get help, feel free to email our prevention officers Lisa Hermanns and Peter Funk at: [email protected]
Catalogue of Demands
LGBTIQ Rights = Human Rights
Despite some legal progress in recent years, there are still many important demands where we have seen no progress at all for years. The LGBTIQ community makes up a conservatively estimated 10% of the population in Austria, which corresponds to 900,000 people—a significant portion. Therefore we call on politicians to listen to our demands and finally fulfill their responsibility to grant LGBTIQ people in Austria equality and protection.
Position Paper
Levelling-up #ProtectionForAll
We demand full protection from discrimination for the LGBTIQ community!
20 LGBTIQ organizations from Austria call for the expansion of the protected ground “sexual orientation” and the extension of the protected ground “sex” to include “gender identity, sex characteristics, and gender expression” in the Equal Treatment Act (GBG).
HOSI Wien – Achievements and Advocacy Since Its Founding
- Repeal of four special provisions in criminal law (1989: § 210; 1996: §§ 220 and 221; 2002: § 209); partial rehabilitation of victims of these laws.
- Asylum Act 1991: Persecuted lesbians and gay men can seek political asylum in Austria.
- 1991: Removal of the diagnosis of "homosexuality" from Austria’s official medical classification system.
- Recognition of "sexual orientation" as a basis for persecution in three laws establishing compensation funds for victims of National Socialism: National Fund (1995), Reconciliation Fund (2000), General Compensation Fund (2001)
- 2003: Support for a complaint before the European Court of Human Rights, resulting in a historic ruling in favor of same-sex partners regarding tenancy rights.
- 2004: Legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace through the Equal Treatment Act and the Federal Equal Treatment Act.
- 2005: Rehabilitation of homosexual victims of Nazi persecution: Inclusion in the Victim Welfare Act; in 2009, annulment of Nazi-era unjust convictions through the Annulment and Rehabilitation Act.
- 2006: Equal treatment of same-sex and opposite-sex partnerships in health insurance co-coverage under the Social Law Amendment Act (SRÄG).
- 2009: Implementation of Registered Partnerships, effective January 1, 2010.
- 2011: Expansion of hate speech protections in § 283 of the Austrian Penal Code to include incitement based on sexual orientation.
- 2015: Explicit inclusion of the protected categories from § 283 of the Penal Code (including "sexual orientation") in § 33 of the Penal Code ("Special Aggravating Factors"), allowing for stricter sentencing for crimes committed with discriminatory motives.
- 2016: Federal Act on the Establishment of the Mauthausen Memorial (GStG): For the first time, an LGBTIQ organization is explicitly mentioned in Austrian federal law. § 15 (3) item 10 of the law ensures HOSI Wien’s representation on the International Advisory Board of the memorial.
- 2022: The blood donation ban for men who have sex with men, as well as for trans and intersex individuals, was lifted.
- 1984: Installation of the world’s first memorial stone for homosexual victims of National Socialism at the former Mauthausen concentration camp.
- Since 1988: Leading the fight for the legal recognition and equality of same-sex partnerships, including two high-profile "Registry Office Actions" (1989 and 1994).
- Numerous official statements on legislative drafts as part of the consultation process.
- 2000: Meeting with the three EU wise persons in Heidelberg regarding the EU-14’s measures against the Austrian government; unwavering participation in the resistance against the right-wing coalition (Blau-Schwarz).
- Parliamentary hearings, including the Justice Subcommittee (1995) and the Austria Convention (2003).
- Hundreds of interactions with politicians, including personal meetings and discussions.
- Hundreds of actions, including numerous direct actions, such as: Participation in demonstrations and protests at events and press conferences.Occupation of a minister’s office on World AIDS Day 1988, International campaign (1998/99) against the election of Walter Schwimmer (ÖVP) as Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
- Hundreds of press releases and interviews for print media, radio, and television, both in Austria and internationally.
- Since 1979: Publication of LAMBDA-Nachrichten, with approximately 200 issues to date.
- Hundreds of articles and contributions written for other media outlets.
- Eight books published.
- Since 1996: Online presence for HOSI Wien and various events, including the Vienna Rainbow Ball, Rainbow Parade, Vienna Pride, and Names Project Vienna, among others.
- Hundreds of participations and appearances at events and academic conferences, both in Austria and internationally.
- 1982: First public event for Christopher Street Day (CSD) in Austria.
- 1984: First CSD demonstration through downtown Vienna.
- Several years of co-organizing the "Warmen Wochen" (Warm Weeks).
- Since 1996: Participation in the Rainbow Parade; since 2003, official organizer of the event.
- 2010: Issuance of the world’s first LGBTIQ-themed postage stamp, featuring the HOSI Wien logo, by the Austrian postal service.
- Since 1981: Active member of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) and its working groups (Council of Europe/CSCE, EU, AIDS); served as Deputy ILGA Action Secretariat (1986–1992).
- 1982–1990: Managed the ILGA Eastern European Information Pool (EEIP) and produced annual reports.
- Hosted three ILGA World Conferences (1983, 1989, 2008), a regional meeting for Eastern and Southeastern Europe (1993), and organized three ILGA-Europe seminars (1999, 2000, 2001), as well as ILGA-Europe's 12th Annual Conference (2008).
- Provided key leadership within ILGA: 1990–1993: Held the position of ILGA Secretary-General, 1997–2003: Chaired the ILGA-Europe Board for seven years.
- Participation in hundreds of international conferences and meetings.
- Lobbying efforts at the Council of Europe, OSCE, EU, and United Nations.
- 2004–2010: Board member of the European Pride Organisers Association (EPOA).
- 2019–2022: Katharina Kacerovsky-Strobl served on the EPOA Board as Membership & Outreach Coordinator.
- 2013: Granted consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
- Since 2011: HOSI Wien has been a member of The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Intersex (LGBTIQ) Youth and Student Organisation (IGLYO).
- 2016: HOSI Wien won the bid to host EuroPride 2019.
- 2019: Successfully organized EuroPride Vienna, including the EuroPride Parade and cultural festival, with a historic number of participants.
- 1980–2010: Operated a community and event center at Novaragasse 40, run entirely by volunteers. Open 4–5 times per week, it served as a meeting place, support center, and safe space.
- June 2010: Opened the new community center Gugg at Heumühlgasse 14/1 in Vienna’s 4th district.
- Since 1981: Weekly meetings of the LesBiFem group (formerly the Lesbian Group).
- Since 1983: Weekly meetings of the QYVIE youth group.
- Since 1991: Women's dance evenings and courses at the HOSI center.
- Since its founding: Providing telephone and in-person counseling.
- Hundreds of events and celebrations held at the HOSI center.
- Since 2004: Organization of the Vienna Rainbow Ball.
- 2015: Opening of the HOSI Wien expansion, featuring a new office and Salon Helga.
- 2023: Library named after Ruth Maier.
- 1983: Published Europe’s first AIDS information brochure.
- 1984/85: Contributed to Europe’s first major study on HIV prevalence among gay men.
- 1985: Co-founded the Austrian AIDS Support Organization (Österreichische AIDS-Hilfe).
- 1987–1993: Organized annual AIDS Information Months.
- 1991: Founded the "AIDS Offensive" and the weekly "Family Circle" (1997), both of which have since ended.
- 1992: Co-founded the Names Project Wien.
- 1993–2000: Hosted the weekly PosiHIVes Café at the HOSI center.
- 2010: Organized the Human Rights March as part of the World AIDS Conference in Vienna.
- Ongoing: Regular commemoration and awareness work with Names Project Wien, including: AIDS Memorial Day, World AIDS Day, Workshops for students and young people.
- Since 1982: Own theater troupe, "The HOSIsters", presenting a new production every year.
- 1987–1990, 1993, 1994: Organized multi-week lesbian and gay film festivals.
- Multiple exhibitions at the HOSI center and external venues, including "Aus dem Leben" at Heldenplatz, Vienna (2001).
- Collaborated on multiple film projects and produced the film "Der HOSI-Clan" (2000).
- Organized and participated in hundreds of events, panel discussions, lectures, and workshops at the HOSI center and beyond.
- Since 2019: Launched the FLAGincluded school project.
- Since 2023: Initiated the queerfacts school education project in collaboration with five other LGBTIQ organizations across Austria.
- From the very beginning, HOSI Wien has considered itself part of the alternative movement and civil society, maintaining strong connections with these groups as well as youth organizations: 1980: Participated in the Festwochen alternativ, where the joint manifesto "For a New Disorder of Love" was adopted.
- HOSI Wien team members have served on the boards of the Initiative Minderheiten (Minorities Initiative) and the Austrian Society for Sexual Research.
- Member of the National Committee and NGO network for the UN Human Rights Year 1998, contributing to the development of the "Catalogue of Demands by Austrian NGOs for the Structural Anchoring of Human Rights in Austria".
- 1998–2001: Contributed to the drafting of Austria’s anti-discrimination law.
- 2003: Helped develop a guiding framework for the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Austria initiative, titled "Economic Success with Social Responsibility". Through HOSI Wien’s involvement, Austrian businesses committed to combating discrimination based on sexual orientation.
- 2004: Founding member of the Litigation Association for the Enforcement of Anti-Discrimination Rights.
- Member of the Board of Trustees of the Mauthausen Committee Austria and representative of HOSI Wien on the International Advisory Board of the Mauthausen Memorial Federal Institution.
- HOSI Wien was represented by Gudrun Hauer on the Social Advisory Board of the Republic of Austria for the redesign of the Austrian exhibition at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. After her passing in November 2015, Waltraud Riegler took over this role.
- Regularly participates in the annual Austrian LGBTIQ interregional networking meeting and maintains ongoing exchanges with various LGBTIQ organizations.