Our work at RFSL – A brief overview

RFSL (the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex rights) was started the year 1950. The organisation is one of the oldest surviving LGBTQI rights organisations in the world. RFSL works locally, nationally and internationally. We are an ever growing organisation with more than 7 000 members and 36 branches all over Sweden. The organisation runs many different activities and projects. For example, RFSL has a crime victim support unit, the project Newcomers (a support group for people who are newly arrived in Sweden) and a unit that works exclusively with HIV and health. Additionally, RFSL is the owner of RFSL AB, a company that educates companies and government agencies on LGBTQI issues. We also provide LGBTQI certification. 

The international department is currently the biggest unit at RFSL, and our work at RFSL with international issues is extensive. We cooperate with LGBTQI organisations in East Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, and we organise trainings for LGBTQI activists from all over the globe. RFSL also works continually with political advocacy and opinion making on several levels, all the way from the UN to the local level in Sweden.

At branch level RFSL is a social meeting place. Our branches are spaces where members can partake in different activities, such as lectures, café nights, pride celebrations and workshops. The congress is RFSL’s highest decision making body. It is made up of representatives from all the organisation’s branches and the youth organisation. A Board of Trustees is elected at RFSL’s congress  and is in charge of implementing the operational plan that the congress determines. You can read more about RFSL in our information brochure (PDF, opens in new window).