25 Years of COURAGE – what has changed, what remains?

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25 Years of COURAGE – what has changed, what remains?

Mag. Johannes Wahala looks back on 25 years of COURAGE. In an interview with Juliana Metyko, they discuss professional queer counseling, societal progress, new burdens, and political protection gaps.

COURAGE arose from the experience that queer people found important peer support options but hardly any professional counseling that explicitly considered their life realities. In an interview with Juliana Metyko, founder and director Mag. Johannes Wahala recalls the beginnings in Vienna's Windmühlgasse and the development of a counseling service that now operates nationwide in Austria.

The program provides insight into counseling for coming out, family conflicts, minority stress, mental health issues, and transition processes. Wahala discusses free and generally anonymous support, safe spaces, and the importance of trans-positive healthcare.

“I still have this vision. Maybe it's also because I am a theologian. My vision is that we can communicate and live peacefully in a diverse society and recognize that we can truly enrich each other through diversity.” – Mag. Johannes Wahala

At the same time, the interview offers a societal assessment: legal equality and greater visibility stand against transphobia, hate online, violence within community spaces, and ongoing gaps in discrimination protection. In conclusion, Wahala formulates political demands and his vision of a diverse, democratic, and human rights-based society.

 

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 This text was created with AI-assisted final editing.