17 May is marked the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. On this day, in 1990, the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. The City Hall hangs a rainbow flag, the symbol of the LGBT community, on this day.

The City of Ljubljana is aware of the need to support activities that promote a wider social relationship toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community (LGBT). The City has been supporting non-government organisations from this field for numerous years by providing them with spatial and financial support (through annual tenders for co-financing non-government and public institution programmes). The City of Ljubljana Department of Health and Social Care prepares a specific tender of the LGBT community for empowerment of its members.

The Social Care Development Strategy of City of Ljubljana for the period of 2013 to 2020, passed by the City Council, includes the commitment to support social care programmes for the LGBT community and the awareness programmes for public institution employees. In our wish to raise awareness on a wider scale, the City of Ljubljana published a booklet titled Rainbow Ljubljana with presentation of the LGBT community various activities in Ljubljana in sports, culture, health, education, etc. The booklet includes views on Ljubljana by ten portrayed people.

This year is also the beginning of the LGBT-Friendly project in collaboration with the non-government organisations to raise awareness. It is often the LGBT community faces embarrassment, problems and discrimination, which is mostly not noticed by the heterosexual people who speak from their point of view and take certain topics for granted (e.g. discussing partners, children). The awareness activity will include management staff education of individual organisations (public and private institutions, companies) on fundamental human rights and the specific needs of the LGBT community. The management personnel will then pass the acquired knowledge to their co-workers and implement equal approach to everyone in accordance with guaranteeing fundamental human rights among the employees and customers.

Ljubljana strives for to become the role model of city of open, tolerant and friendly people!