Who we are
We, the queerMaschen (“queerStitches”), are a colourful bunch of people that have been meeting up weekly since the beginning of 2016 to knit and crochet. Since the beginning of the pandemic we’ve added online meet-ups too.
With the queerMaschen, Horst and Evelyn have created an open platform for all those who have a relaxed, free-and-easy approach to knitting and crochet, or want to (re-)discover such an approach.
Meanwhile, we’ve grown to be a sizable group, which still meets every Wednesday, usually at Magdas Hotel, but also at other venues, and in the last few months, increasingly in digital spaces too. You can find more information about us and what we’ve done so far (e.g. at the last “Regenbogenparaden” – Vienna’s Pride marches) on our queerMaschen website.
What has happened so far
In 2019, Vienna was the host city of Europride, a two-week Festival of the LGBTQIA+-Community*, which takes place in a different European city every year. (* Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, + all of the other sexualities, sexes, and genders that aren’t included in these few letters)
We took the occasion of Europride 2019 and its motto “Together and Proud” to bring the LGBTQIA*- and the fibre-crafting communities closer together through various projects, creating new connections and, in doing this, empowering all those taking part.
For this purpose, we founded a registered association for the promotion of collective fibrecrafting. This association has organised – with the dear support of numerous allies – an annual “YarnPride” in the context of Vienna Pride ever since.
Whom we supported since 2019
Through our Yarnpride projects, we have been able to collect donations and support the following groups:
Verein Ausgesprochen! und die
What we are planning for 2022 and whom we want to support
As every year, we are trying to make a connection to a current topic concerning our charities. The focus for the last two years was on the corona pandemic, this year we want to use the YarnPride logo to take a stand against Russia’s war in Ukraine and at the same time support the Queer Base association, which takes care of LGBTIQ+ refugees, with your donations.
Queer Base offers regular consultation sessions, open to everyone, which address issues relating to asylum and LGBTIQ.
We offer counselling related to legal matters, social aspects and coming out as well as networking with the community and support for medical and psychological concerns. We then refer you to experts in these areas. We also offer training opportunities for organisations that are involved in the asylum system.
We know that translating questions about your sexual orientation and gender identity is a very delicate matter. This is why we mostly work with translators who are LGBTIQ themselves. Together with Diakonie Lares and Tralalobe, we arrange housing for LGBTIQ asylum seekers who have submitted their asylum claim. We refer asylum seekers granted refugee status to organisations that can help them find a flat.
Every Thursday at 6 pm you are invited to join the Queer Base Café and to get to know us!
Our opening hours are
Monday 11 am – 5 pm
Tuesday 11 am – 2 pm
Wednesday 11 am – 5 pm
Thursday 3 pm – 6 pm
Here’s how you’ll find us:
Website: http://queerbase.at/
http://friends.queerbase.at/
Email: asylum@queerbase.at
Phone: 00436646594171
Address: Linke Wienzeile 102, 1060 Wien
How to get there: U4 | 12A | 13A | 14A Pilgramgasse
This information is also available in: German Persian French Turkish Kurdish Russian Ukrainian Arabic