The project QueeReality was a follow up initiative of the contact seminar “Same but Different”, which was organized by svls e.V. in Mülheim a.d. Ruhr in November 2014. QueeReality was the very first international youth exchange of the social association svls with the informal LGBT youth group Gruppo Giovani Glbti* Firenze (GGG), which was partner at the contact seminar. QueeReality brought together 20 participants from the region North Rhine Westphalia and Florence, aged 17 to 29 years from September, 5th till 13th 2015. The current worldwide development concerning LGBT rights and discourses shows on one hand that doors are opening for change, like the legalisation of same sex marriage in various countries. On the other hand, there are still big resentments, e.g. protests in Italy against same sex marriage; in Germany the region Baden Württemberg had to withdraw from implementing school books showing sexual divers families due to a petition launched by concerned parents. These two examples show that the societies are still far from sexual freedom and equal rights for its inhabitants. And there is indeed a pressure on young people to stay within heterosexual gender conformity zones, coming from peers, society and media. QueeReality put the focus on the question how gender definitions affect the society, how they can give privileges or can limit freedom and how we can try to share those privileges in order to raise appreciation of diverse ways of life. We particularly explored and compared legal frameworks, empowerment opportunities, social community programmes and personal experiences on regional level in Tuscany and NRW, on national level in Italy and Germany and interconnect the results with the situation throughout Europe. Like this we were mapping LGBT rights, spots of discrimination and methods for empowerment to overcome existing LGBT discrimination. The QueeReality project had an impact on the participants' attitudes, as it increased their • consciousness about differences/similarities in cultures and values • awareness, that differences and diversity are a resource of wealth that should be treasured and not abandoned through discrimination • awareness of the current rights of LGBT people in Germany, Italy and Europe in general • ability to counter anti-racist stereotypes and prejudices and populist discourses Aims and objectives of the project included: • to bring together young people from Italy and Germany, to give them a chance to live and work together – and to learn from each other • to give room for intercultural learning, for the exchange of experiences as young LGBT people, for appreciation of cultural and gender and sexual diversity • to empower young LGBT people to express their feelings and to articulate their ideas and demands towards a diverse European society • to raise public awareness of the specific situation of young LGBT people • to create a performance in transnationally mixed groups; and to share them in public presentation and via social media • to help each participant to grow as a person, an artist and a citizen of Europe, to get a wider cultural horizon and thus increase social inclusion • to promote the project results and the ERASMUS+ YOUTH programme to a wide public at the public performance at Florence city centre