The City of Cologne is funding 14 projects aimed at preventing violence and reducing discrimination against queer people. The total budget for the 2026 LGBTQI funding program is 70,000 euros, the city announced. The Social, Health, Seniors, and Elderly Committee had approved the funding last week.
The program was prompted in part by the findings of the third Cologne Discrimination Monitoring, released in 2026. The report shows an uptick in anti-queer crimes in recent years.
Among the funded initiatives are project days, workshops, and professional development for teachers in schools, as well as offerings that challenge traditional and patriarchal gender roles. Other projects focus on social encounters and counseling, safe spaces for queer seniors, and care services for queer refugees. The package is complemented by queer city tours, forums against religious queer-phobia, education about aromanticism and asexuality, and health-oriented workshops and preventive self-defense courses.
The LGBTQI funding program is part of the LGBTQI Action Plan adopted by the Cologne City Council in 2021. The action plan includes 163 measures across ten areas, including education, schools, culture, and safety. The city of Cologne says the aim is to strengthen societal acceptance and the barrier-free participation of queer people in Cologne.
