The 1979 Founding of Homosexual Initiatives (HOSI): An Austrian LGBTQ+ History Exhibition

This entry details the political organization of lesbians and gays in Austria following the decriminalization of homosexual acts in 1971. It focuses on the 1979 announcement and subsequent founding of the Homosexual Initiatives (HOSI) in Vienna, highlighting the political resistance and legal challenges faced, and the organization's ongoing fight for legal and social equality.

This historical entry documents the pivotal moment in 1979 when lesbians and gays began to organize politically in Austria. Following the partial decriminalization of homosexual acts in 1971, activists initiated steps towards forming associations. The text highlights a key event in the discussion program "Club 2" on September 25, 1979, where activist Wolfgang Förster announced the planned formation of a homosexual association. This announcement triggered a parliamentary inquiry from conservative parties to Justice Minister Christian Broda, who, however, defended the initiative, arguing it could foster a change in public perception. The association was not prohibited, and the first general assembly of HOSI Wien took place in January 1980. By 1981, lesbian women also became involved, and similar foundations emerged in other cities. The entry further notes the HOSI's extensive advocacy in subsequent decades against legal discrimination and for the societal equalization of lesbians and gays, including calls for the rehabilitation of homosexual victims of the Nazi regime.