Labris - Lesbian Human Rights Organization

What Labris - Lesbian Human Rights Organization does

Labris — Organizacija za lezbejska ljudska prava (Labris — Lesbian Human Rights Organization) is a Serbian feminist, lesbian-led non-governmental organization founded in 1995 in Belgrade, making it the oldest continuously operating lesbian organization in Serbia and one of the pioneers of the LBTIQ movement in the former Yugoslavia. The organization provides a portfolio of direct support services and community programs targeted at LBTIQ women and rainbow families in Serbia, including a free SOS hotline (0800 003 333, Fridays 17–21h), scheduled psychological counseling (Mondays 20–22h) and Instagram chat support (Tuesdays 20–22h), free legal aid, sociodrama workshops for survivors of partner violence, the Rainbow Families (Dugine porodice) program, the 'Ponosne na poslu' (Proud at Work) employer network, the annual ŽVŽ Art Festival, community development and local network building across seven cities, and publications including research on violence in lesbian partnerships and the periodic Labris Newspaper.

The organization's underlying technology base is negligible in commercial terms: there is no proprietary platform, no mobile application, no public API, and no software product. Service delivery is human-mediated through phone, email, in-person sessions at the Belgrade headquarters (Lješka 90), and community events. Distribution is purely direct-to-beneficiary within Serbia, supplemented by participation in regional and international networks (EL*C, ILGA World, Rainbow Families Europe). All services are provided free of charge; there are no pricing tiers, paid plans, or commercial products.

Labris operates as a grant-funded nonprofit with a working team of approximately 5 staff plus governance bodies (Management Board, Supervisory Board, Assembly). Revenue is sourced entirely from project-based grants and donations from institutional donors including Kvinna till Kvinna (Sweden), Swiss Development Cooperation through the ACT project implemented by Građanske inicijative, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, Trag fondacija, and EL*C/Daphne (EU). The organization is membership-based, governed democratically, and not backed by venture capital or private equity.

Name

Labris - Lesbian Human Rights Organization

Legal name

Labris — organizacija za lezbejska ljudska prava

Website

https://labris.org.rs

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Labris is a Serbian feminist nonprofit founded in 1995 that provides free direct support services — SOS hotline, psychological counseling, legal aid, and sociodrama workshops — alongside community programs for LBTIQ women, rainbow families, and survivors of partner violence in Serbia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Society / Human Rights Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Assistance (624)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD), Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

Keywords

• Lesbian human rights advocacy
• LBTIQ support services
• Gender-based violence support
• Community organizing programs
• Civil society nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Belgrade

HQ country

Serbia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor and grant funding: Labris operates as a nonprofit and is funded through grants and donations from institutional donors including Kvinna till Kvinna, Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, Trag fondacija, and ACT (Zajedno za aktivno građansko društvo) implemented by Građanske inicijative. Revenue is received in the form of project-based and programmatic grants rather than commercial revenue streams.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Labris provides free direct support services and community programs to LBTIQ women in Serbia, including an SOS telephone hotline (0800 003 333), psychological counseling, legal aid, sociodrama workshops, rainbow family support groups, workplace inclusion training through the Proud at Work network, and the annual ŽVŽ Art Festival. It also produces publications and research on lesbian rights and partner violence, and conducts advocacy including strategic litigation before bodies such as the European Court of Human Rights.

Product overview

Labris - Organizacija za lezbejska ljudska prava is a lesbian feminist nonprofit civil society organization. Its offerings consist of direct support services (SOS telephone support, psychological counseling, legal aid), community programs (Rainbow Families, Community Development, Pride at Work), violence prevention services (partner violence support, sociodrama workshops), cultural activities (ŽVŽ Art Festival), and publications (Labris Newspaper, research publications, guides). The organization operates as a service-oriented nonprofit rather than a software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SOS Telephone Support (SOS Telefon podrške) Free support hotline (0800 003 333) available every Friday from 17:00 to 21:00, staffed by trained SOS consultants for LBTQ women who have experienced or are at risk of partner violence.
• Psychological Support Services (Psihološka podrška) Free psychological counseling sessions held Mondays 20:00-22:00 (in-person and email at [email protected]) and Instagram chat sessions held Tuesdays 20:00-22:00, for LBTIQ women who have experienced violence and abuse.
• Legal Aid (Pravna podrška) Free legal assistance for LBTIQ women who have experienced or are experiencing violence and abuse, accessible via email ([email protected]) with response within 1-3 working days for general inquiries.
• Rainbow Families Program (Dugine porodice) Program supporting rainbow families (same-sex couples with or without children, single-parent families) with peer-to-peer support, legal counseling, community gatherings, and advocacy for legal recognition of same-sex partnerships. Currently serves around 30 families and 60+ adults.
• Proud at Work Program (Ponosne na poslu) Program developing a network of employers committed to inclusive workplace practices based on human rights, including LGBTI rights. Includes employer diversity and inclusion training, 'living libraries,' entrepreneurship training, and job readiness support for LBTIQ individuals.
• Violence in Lesbian Partnerships Program Program providing support services for women experiencing violence in lesbian partnerships, including psychotherapeutic groups, individual psychological support, legal counseling, sociodrama workshops, and the SOS contact center launched in 2025.
• ŽVŽ Art Festival Annual art festival organized in partnership with Rainbow Ignite, featuring women who love women (ŽVŽ) art across various forms including theater, poetry, visual art, graffiti, and performance art.
• Community Development Program (Razvoj zajednice) Program 'Building Community Locally' strengthening alliances and capacities of organizations outside major urban centers through Local Networks for Prevention of Discrimination and Support for LGBT+ Persons.
• Economic Empowerment Education Training cycle focused on economic empowerment of LBTQ women including job-seeking skills, entrepreneurship development, and online business presentation.
• Labris Publications (Labrisova Izdanja) Publications and research including the Reader 2009, Discrimination and Violence research, Guide on Recognizing LBTQ Partner Violence, Police Manual, and other educational materials on lesbian rights and partner violence.
• Labris Newspaper (Labrisove Novine) Periodic publication of the Labris organization, with the 2024 edition available as a downloadable resource.
• Sociodrama Workshops Peer-to-peer support program featuring sociodrama workshops for LBTQ women who have experienced or are at risk of violence, exploring topics such as boundaries in relationships, community connection, and perspective-taking.

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• ACT — Zajedno za aktivno građansko društvo (Građanske inicijative)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025ACT is a civil society empowerment program implemented by Građanske inicijative and funded by the Swiss Government. Labris participates in ACT's organizational capacity-building activities including crowdfunding training and community events programs. The ACT project supports civil society organizations in Serbia to strengthen their capacities and community impact.
• Eurocentralasian Lesbian* Community (EL*C)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EL*C is a regional network of lesbian organizations across Europe and Central Asia. Labris participates in this network as a member organization. EL*C additionally supports Labris's support services through the Daphne project of the European Union, providing supplementary funding for services for LBTQ women survivors of violence.
• Rainbow Ignite (Dugina Iskra)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Rainbow Ignite (also known as Dugina Iskra) is Labris's key partner in organizing the annual ŽVŽ Art Festival, held each October ahead of International Lesbian Day. The festival showcases women-loving-women (WLW) art and culture and is organized in partnership with Rainbow Ignite since 2022.
• IKEA, Merkator, Foundever, Ubisoft, NCR, BMTS technologymoderateGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022These companies participate in Labris's 'Ponosne na poslu' (Proud at Work) Employer Network, established in 2022. Companies collaborate with Labris on diversity and inclusion training, live library events, and building inclusive workplace policies for LBTIQ employees.
• Rainbow Families EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Rainbow Families Europe is a European network of organizations supporting rainbow families. Labris participates in this network, contributing to and benefiting from regional exchange on family equality issues relevant to the Rainbow Families program.
• ILGA World — Family EqualityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021ILGA World is the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. Labris participates in ILGA World's Family Equality working group, contributing to international advocacy for the rights of rainbow families.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Trag fondacija: Serbian foundation supporting civil society organizations and providing grants to Labris. Operates in the same domestic civil society funding ecosystem and shares beneficiaries (Serbian NGOs).
• Kvinna till Kvinna: Swedish foundation supporting women's organizations in the Western Balkans. Funded Labris's economic empowerment and gender justice project. Provides grant funding rather than direct service delivery, but operates in the same funding/capacity-building ecosystem for women's rights NGOs in Serbia.
• ACT (Zajedno za aktivno građansko društvo): Swiss-funded civil society empowerment program implemented by Građanske inicijative, of which Labris is a participant. Labris receives organizational capacity-building support from ACT (e.g., crowdfunding training in March 2026). Operates in the same civil society ecosystem with overlapping beneficiaries.

Broad incumbents

• ILGA-Europe: European region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. Labris is a member of ILGA World. Operates as a broader umbrella covering all LGBT+ issues rather than specializing in lesbian/LBTIQ women's services like Labris.

Direct peers

• Eurocentralasian Lesbian* Community (EL*C): Regional network of lesbian organizations across Europe and Central Asia, of which Labris is a member. Directly comparable mission around LBTIQ advocacy, knowledge exchange, and pooled funding for supporting partner organizations.
• Da se zna!: Serbian LGBT+ rights coalition of which Labris is a member. Operates in the same Belgrade ecosystem, focuses on visibility, anti-discrimination, and Pride organization — overlapping target population and donor ecosystem in Serbia.
• Labris-era / Centre for Queer Studies (Beograd): Serbian academic and activist organizations focused on queer studies and LGBT+ rights. Operate in the same Belgrade LBTIQ ecosystem with overlapping civil society networks, donors, and target communities.
• Rainbow Families Europe: European network of organizations supporting rainbow families; Labris participates in it. Operates in the same thematic vertical (LBTIQ family rights, parenting recognition) and contributes to the same regional advocacy pool.

Emerging players

• Queer Archive / Q Archive Serbia: Smaller Serbian activist initiative focused on archiving and visibility of LGBT+ history. Overlap with Labris's cultural and community-building work (e.g., ŽVŽ Art Festival, Rainbow Families publication efforts).

Regional players

• Lambda Istanbul: Turkish LGBT+ organization. Comparable Balkan/regional peer addressing LBTIQ rights, community building, and policy advocacy, but operating in a different national context with distinct legal and political dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/labris---lesbian-human-rights-organization

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Labris - Lesbian Human Rights Organization