SFY Presents: Building LGBTQI+ Belonging in Rural Areas
What does it take to create a sense of belonging for LGBTQI+ people in rural communities?
While discussions around diversity and inclusion often focus on urban spaces, millions of LGBTQI+ people live, work and build their lives in villages, small towns and rural regions. Across Europe, individuals and organisations are creating new spaces for visibility, connection and community beyond the cities.
Join Slow Food Youth Germany for an online conversation exploring how LGBTQI+ belonging can be strengthened in rural areas, what challenges remain, and which initiatives are already making a difference.
Speakers
Florian Niederseer is the Founder and Chairperson of Heublumen – LGBTQIA+ Initiative, an Austrian rural NGO dedicated to connecting, supporting and increasing the visibility of queer people in rural areas. What began with the first Unken Pride has grown into a nationwide network of more than 100 members. Through Pride events such as Unken, Mittersill and Pongau Pride, as well as community gatherings and dialogue formats, Heublumen creates spaces for queer community beyond urban centres. Florian champions queer life and visibility in rural Austria and leads the organisation's strategic direction, public presence and community work.
José Antonio Parcha is a sociologist specialising in rural development. During his time as a trainee at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI), he published an article on LGBTQI+ experiences in rural areas that sparked conversations about inclusion, visibility and belonging in rural communities. The idea for this event grew directly out of those conversations. Today, José continues to work on rural policy and rural development at the European level.
Gaia Lo Scrudato (she/her) is a board member and secretary of Caos APS, a youth association that has been active in the Monte San Giusto area since 2019. She works on social prevention, rights promotion, and cultural project development aimed at younger generations, contributing to the creation and growth of spaces for participation and active citizenship for young people in the local community.
Moderation
The webinar will be moderated by Lovis Nolting, Lead of Slow Food Youth Germany. Lovis first met José Antonio Parcha during his time at DG AGRI in Brussels. Their conversations highlighted the importance of discussing LGBTQI+ experiences in rural areas and inspired this event.
Event Details
Date: 29 June 2026
Time: 18:00 CEST (Berlin/Brussels time)
Duration: Approximately 1 hour
Location: Online (Zoom):
Zoom Link zur Veranstaltung: https://slowfood-de.zoom.us/j/86235389527
Meeting ID: 862 3538 9527
Language: English
Who should join?
The event is open to everyone. Whether you are interested in rural development, food systems, community-building, diversity and inclusion, or simply curious to learn more, you are warmly invited to join the conversation.
Together, we will explore how rural areas can become places where everyone feels welcome, visible and at home.