Purpose: La Bulle [in English: the Bubble] is an inter-association space dedicated to helping and supporting the most stigmatised LGBTI people, particularly migrants, victims of violence and transgender people.
Stimulus/Rationale: The City of Paris has provided a group of seven associations (ANKH, ARDHIS, Espace Santé Trans, FLIRT, OUTrans, Wassla, XY Média) with a 520 m² municipal space in the heart of the historic Marais district (central Paris) to offer welcome, support and exchange. The space is dedicated to LGBTI people who need more support: economically disadvantaged people, exiles, people experiencing racism, trans people, people living with HIV, victims of violence, etc.
Process: The space extends over two levels:
- The ground floor, which opens out onto the street, is primarily a reception area. Visitors can wait here before their appointments, browse through a selection of books, access available documentation or simply relax in a safe environment. There are also two office spaces, one closed and one open, which provide a pleasant working environment for the volunteers and staff who run the centre
- The second room is in the basement and consists of offices and booths for confidential one-to-one interviews, whether for social welfare, psychological support or advice on asylum applications. Two large meeting rooms are reserved for group activities, work meetings, training sessions, courses, workshops, etc.
- The modular forum room can accommodate larger or public activities such as support groups, debates and conferences, film screenings or other cultural and festive events. Finally, the basement will house a multimedia studio dedicated to the production of XY Media’s transfeminist online content. It can be shared with the other six associations to support their communication and training initiatives.
Impact:
- More than just a space shared by LGBTI associations, la Bulle - Maison des solidarités LGBTI - is defined as a resolutely community-based project, designed by and for the people concerned. Since 2022, the seven associations have been working tirelessly to develop a common approach to health, social, psychological and legal support. This approach takes into account the diversity of people’s lives and the specific nature of their needs.
- La Bulle, which has become a veritable incubator for associations, is entirely dedicated to pooling the resources and skills of its member associations in order to conduct a global reflection on the mechanisms of exclusion and to contribute to the development of public policies of tomorrow.
Key reference documents:
- The association’s website - la bulle – maison des solidarités lgbtqi+ (la-bulle.net)
- The City of Paris presentation page - La Bulle, un lieu refuge pour les personnes LGBTQI+ - Ville de Paris
