About Us
The Executive Office of Queer Center is the hub for providing crucial support and advocacy for the LGBTI+ community in North Macedonia. We offer essential psychosocial and legal assistance, conduct vital research, and actively advocate for policy changes to improve the rights and well-being of LGBTI+ individuals. Our focus is on promoting equality, empowering the community, and ensuring fair access to fundamental rights for LGBTI+ citizens in our country.
David Tasevski
Executive Director
Ivana Kostovska
Services Manager
Martin Tasevski
Legal Advisor
Petar Stojkovikj
Communications Manager
Management Board
Vida Gavriloska Bubalova
Board Member
Elena Kochoska
Board Member
Katarina Sinadinovska
Board Member
Psychosocial Support
The specialized counseling center, which started operating in 2021, provides quality and free services for LGBTI+ individuals. The services offered include psychological counseling and psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, on-site psychosocial support, accompaniment by a social worker, information, guidance, and legal assistance. The professional staff at the counseling center consists of trustworthy experts with experience in the field and working with LGBTI+ individuals.
Legal Aid and Counsel
We provide comprehensive legal counseling and information, legal assistance, and representation for LGBTI+ individuals. The areas of specialization in legal support and counseling are related to discrimination, hate speech, and hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity, seeking asylum and temporary protection due to persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity, gender-based violence, and entering same-sex partnerships/marriages in foreign countries.
National LGBTI+ Helpline
The National LGBTI+ Helpline is open to LGBTI+ individuals of all ages, their families, friends, as well as professional teams from schools and centers in contact with LGBTI+ individuals or youth feeling confused about their sexual orientation or gender identity. LGBTI+ individuals from the entire territory of the country can anonymously receive support, assistance, or counseling without sharing their identity. The counselors are professionals (social workers, psychologists, psychotherapists) with training in working with LGBTI+ individuals and telephone counseling, providing a safe environment for those reaching out.
Our Work in Numbers
A Brief Report on the Operations of Queer Center’s Services for the Year 2023
Client Overview
In the past year, we had a total of 56 clients who availed themselves of various psychosocial and legal support services for LGBTI+ individuals. This includes 28 new clients and 28 existing clients in the center. In terms of gender distribution, there are 37 males, 17 females, and 2 non-binary individuals. In terms of the target groups we covered, the clients consisted of 29 gay males, 9 lesbians, 6 bisexual individuals, 10 transgender individuals, and 2 parents and other family members.
Delivered Services
Clients have completed a total of 332 visits, including 95 consultations with a social worker, 216 sessions with a psychotherapist, 19 sessions with a psychiatrist, one legal consultation, and, in one instance, psychosocial support was provided in the field.
Telephone Counseling
Since the opening of the National LGBTI+ Helpline in August 2020 until the end of 2023, this essential service has assisted 124 clients who made a total of 211 calls.
Complaints to the CPPD
In eight cases from the submitted complaints by Queer Center, the Commission for the Prevention and Protection against Discrimination identified instances of harassment, incitement, encouragement, and/or instruction for discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
Complaints to the CMEM
In 16 complaints filed by Queer Center, the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia found deviations from the professional and ethical standards established in the Code of Journalists of Macedonia and/or in the Guidelines for Ethical Reporting of Online Media, with an additional case being resolved through mediation.
Criminal Reports to the MOI
Queer Center filed 34 criminal reports with the Ministry of Interior for the dissemination of racist and xenophobic material through computer systems. Two criminal reports were referred to the relevant public prosecutors, while responses for the remaining 32 are still awaited.