HOSI Wien
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Homosexual Initiative Vienna (HOSI Wien) was founded in Vienna in 1979. It is Austria's oldest and largest lesbian, gay and bisexual association. It is a member-based organisation holding an annual general meeting and board elections. The organisation supports several sub groups including a youth group and women's group. It organises the annual Vienna Pride and Rainbow Parade.
HOSI is an abbreviation of "Homosexuelle Initiative" and is used as a prefix by several different organisations advocating for the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Austria and certain neighbouring counties, such as HOSI Linz, HOSI Salzburg, HOSI Tirol. HOSI is also used collectively to refer to these organisations.
Activities
HOSI Vienna works to secure and maintain LGBT rights in Austria. In the 1980s and 1990s, HOSI Wien was active in the HIV/ AIDS movement. It maintains the Names Project Wien,[1] an HIV/AIDS memorial quilt initiative started in 1992.
It has been publishing the oldest German language gay and lesbian magazine, LAMBDA-Nachrichten[2], since 1979 and manages a community centre near Vienna's Naschmarkt called Das Gugg. This also serves as the organisation's office, archives and storage facilities. It houses meeting rooms, a bar, a dance floor and a stage, and runs a theatre group, The HOSIsters.[3]
