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Milestones

 

2021

• In January 2021 we receive the Queeros award from the "Mannschaft" magazine

• On February 5, we receive the keys from the Kalkbreite Cooperative and enter the rooms that are to become the Rainbow House for the first time.

• On February 27th, an extraordinarily convened online general meeting decides that we will rent the vacated room on the other side of the aisle to the rainbow house

• In March, the major interior work begins with the design of the window front. Our members pack moving boxes. Negotiations on taking over the new space are coming to an end. And we find our community manager: May.

• The interior work will be completed in April. The first users - the offices of HAZ and Milchjugend - are moving into the Regenbogenhaus. The team Regenbogenhaus is formed and plans the first opening hours 

• The Regenbogenhaus will be opened on May 3rd - due to the ongoing corona pandemic, unfortunately only with a symbolic, virtual act in social media. Nevertheless: The Regenbogenhaus opens to the public for the first time, the new HAZ library begins operations in the rainbow house. Events are not allowed yet.

• In June we are allowed to open the house for events. At the general assembly, we say goodbye to Laura from the board, full of huge respect for what she has done for the project. We buy sofas, armchairs and beanbags and plan our opening party.

• The construction work in the "House of Love", the room that was later rented, will be completed in July. Almost all planned uses are now taking place. We are happy about the many inquiries and events.

• On August 26th we celebrate our opening party: almost 500 people come, look at the house, eat rainbow cake, listen to our speeches and the choir Rosa and dance in the rain.

• September: The Zurich Pride demonstration becomes a demonstration for equal rights and marriage for all finally becomes a reality. This is celebrated by the community here with us.

• With the Rainbow Znacht, an institution is celebrating a comeback in October: The former Friday Center of the HAZ – Queer Zurich is being re-established in the customs kitchen and is to take place monthly.

• The team Regenbogenhaus offers various activities during opening hours: In November, the first clothing exchange is the most popular Wednesday afternoon.

• At the end of the year we complete the project and we draw a thoroughly positive balance: The Regenbogenhaus has been accepted by the community. Countless people contribute to the fact that we have a lively community place today.

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2020

• 2020 will go down in world history as the Corona year. For us this means: The Regenbogenhaus will not be able to move into the customs house until spring 2021, as construction is delayed. However, our work on the project continues unabated

• At the end of January, the customs house starts its participatory processes - we take over the management of the AG Zollküche, the large common room for cooking, eating and being right next to the rainbow house

• We get in touch with our direct neighbors and discuss possible synergies and shared infrastructure

• At the General Assembly in August, the sample usage agreement will be discussed, which serves as the basis for the agreements between the collective members and the Regenbogenhaus Association

• In mid-September we will be working on models for operating the Regenbogenhaus at a workshop. The aim is to have the longest possible opening times with the involvement of collective members

• The large Regenbogenhaus crowdfunding starts on September 24th with a kick-off event - it ends successfully on November 5th: We collect 106,662 francs for the interior design

• On October 9th, we will draw attention to the international Coming Out Day (COD) with a balloon campaign on the roof of the customs house construction site

• Shortly before the end of the year, we complete the award of contracts to craftsmen for interior design

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2019

• In 2019 the  Zollhaus  will grow upwards - our future "home" will take concrete shape

• At the end of January we will present our project at a series of the Kalkbreite Cooperative

• The planning of the interior of the Regenbogenhaus is becoming concrete - it is important that the needs of our users are met. At the end of April we will discuss the first drafts

• With numerous applications to the public sector and private foundations, we apply for the financial resources that are necessary for the tenant expansion of the Regenbogenhaus in the Zollhaus

• In June we present the Regenbogenhaus on the political stage of Zurich Pride

• At a workshop "The Regenbogenhaus and I - Community Work and Public Spheres" in the summer, we develop marketing measures for the successful realization of the Regenbogenhaus

• On October 1st we submit the building application for the rainbow house to the building inspectorate

• At an event organized by the Kalkbreite Cooperative we can get to know our future neighbors – and they can get to know us

• At the end of the year, the Regenbogenhaus Association consists of 154 individual members, 24 collective members and three supporting organizations

 

2018

• At the end of January, the first meeting with the coordination office of the Kalkbreite Cooperative takes place, and on May 18, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Zollhaus takes place

• The newly created library group meets twice and collects ideas and facts to create a clear vision of the future LGBTQ library

• At the end of the year, we commissioned a team of architects with Camponovo Baumgartner Architekten BSA SIA to plan the interior design

• We inform the community and the interested public with a leporello flyer

• The Regenbogenhaus is present at the Pride, at the Pink Apple Film Festival, in the cultural month "Warmer Mai" and in the program of the gay men's choir Zurich schmaz

• We start the fundraising measures to finance the interior design

• The name "Regenbogenhaus Zürich" is registered and protected as a trademark

• We present our project at a network meeting of the City of Zurich, at the Wybernet association and at the BiblioTalk of the Office for Equal Opportunities of the City of Zurich

• In addition to the website, newsletter and Facebook account, we now also provide information about our news and progress on Twitter and Instagram

• On December 31, 2018, the Regenbogenhaus Association has 114 individual members and 17 collective members. In addition, the Regenbogenhaus Zurich association is recognized as a non-profit organization, so we are tax-exempt

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 2017

• On June 16, 2017, the 10 member organizations of the IG Regenbogenhaus, which has existed since 2014, and some private individuals found the Regenbogenhaus Zurich Association

• The purpose of the association: to operate a public center for LGBTQ people and interested parties, to work towards raising awareness of LGBTQ people, to promote their equal participation in social coexistence and to contribute to the strengthening of diverse ways of life. The Regenbogenhaus Zurich is intended to be a meeting place where events and meetings take place and information can be obtained. It should offer space for cultural, scientific, advisory and community activities. The public is invited to participate in LGBTQ culture

• In addition, the founding meeting decided that the Regenbogenhaus Zurich association would apply as a tenant for service areas in the customs house of the Kalkbreite Cooperative

• With this in mind, a business and financing plan as well as a rough interior design scenario are being developed

• At a second general meeting in November, the members decide to sign the rental agreement with the customs house and make the rainbow house in the Zollhaus a reality

• The contract was signed on December 12, 2017 - a major milestone for our project and the achievement of the association's purpose!

 2016

• The IG Regenbogenhaus consists of 16 LGBTQ organizations

• A  4-person project group is operational

• From July 1st, the IG can hire Laura Pestalozzi as a project manager and thus decisively advance the work on the project. The temporary position can be financed with the contributions of the IG members, donations and a project contribution from the city of Zurich

• Various financing options and possible legal forms for a future legal entity "Regenbogenhaus Zürich" will be evaluated at a workshop

• The concept for the Regenbogenhaus will be further developed and supplemented with an operating concept. For this purpose, the space requirements of the organizations involved are recorded

• The project website "www.dasregenbogenhaus.ch" is created, a newsletter is sent out to members and interested parties, and the Regenbogenhaus is given a Facebook presence

• For the first time, the Regenbogenhaus is also present at Zurich Pride

• The Regenbogenhaus is still looking for a suitable property - and is still in talks with the Kalkbreite Cooperative for the new lighthouse project Zollhaus

 

2015

• In spring 2015, the graphic designer Andrea Forgacs will create the professional graphic appearance of the Regenbogenhaus - the Regenbogenhaus gets its face

• The IG Regenbogenhaus is planning a preliminary project phase for the creation/further development of usage, financing, fundraising, marketing and operational concepts and is applying for funds to create a project manager position
   

2014

• On November 4, 2014, the Regenbogenhaus interest group was founded from 4 LGBTQ organizations

• It follows the establishment and operation of the Regenbogenhaus to improve the offer for lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and trans people and as an interface between the LGBTQ community and the public

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