For five years the youth group aQUEERium has existed in Graz/Styria, a group which has dedicated itself to providing space for young homo-, bi-, trans- and intersexual (in short, queer) people. Apart from organizing meetings for the target group, the aim of aQUEERium has always been to act as opinion-forming instance in society.
Next to media reports and public appearances, workshops are organized for young people at schools, with the aim of introducing adolescents to the concepts “queer” and “alternative love/life” directly at educational organizations. Within the context of the practical knowledge gained during these events, a discussion shall be encouraged serving the purpose of theorizing of why mostly boys and young men find it difficult to deal with subject matters such as homosexual and other alternative love and life concepts. Furthermore an attempt will be made to locate the inhibitions and dismissive patterns on the part of the adolescents. A further step shall lead the discussion to analyzing the means and approaches used by workshop contributors and practitioners that might be used to challenge the trend of general rejection.
