Universités d’été euroméditerranéennes des homosexualités

The Universités d’été euroméditerranéennes des homosexualités (UEEH), formerly known as the Université d’été homosexuelle (UEH, or UEH de Marseille), is a French and later European cultural and political homosexual event that has been held regularly since 1979, primarily in Marseille. It began as a summer university organized by the Groupe de libération homosexuelle de Marseille, notably its president Jacques Fortin, with the support of Marseille mayor Gaston Defferre. The first edition took place from 15 to 21 July 1979 on the Luminy university campus, bringing together several hundred people for forums and reflection workshops and several thousand for a gala where Les Mirabelles performed. After early editions in 1981, 1983, 1985 and 1987, the event was interrupted for twelve years by the AIDS epidemic. It returned in 1999 with a shift from a gay and lesbian focus to an LGBTQI and feminist one, and to a self-organized (autogéré) mode of operation. The UEEH became one of the few French LGBTQI spaces to give real visibility to trans identity. In 2001 the event introduced an action to qualitatively evaluate new sexual risk-reduction materials alongside workshops, documentaries, debates, performances and techno evenings; at that time the budget allowed one person to be salaried year-round and about 800 people attended. Following political disagreements, the organizing team resigned and convened a general assembly in 2003, which shortened the week to a weekend to redefine the event around self-management and feminism, with the subtitle “rencontres Lesbigaytransqueers” expressing a desire to include non-mixed events. The thirteenth gathering took place from 16 to 23 July 2007 in Marseille with an international theme. In 2009 the UEEH celebrated 30 years, with the fifteenth gathering held from 16 to 29 July on the Luminy campus and at the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Marseille (which has supported the initiative since 1979), on the theme “Relations intercommunautaires et Féminismes”; between 180 and 200 participants took part. In 2010 the event was organized around a colloquium on “Corps et Identité”. In July 2012 the UEEH held a general assembly to assess its direction, leading to a reorganization of the association to better implement the feminist self-management project desired by the 2003 assembly. In 2014 the UEEH was awarded by Yagg internet users, and in 2016 it was hosted for the first time at the Valabre agricultural lycée. Today the UEEH describes itself as a feminist, international and self-organized summer camp organized by and for LGBTQIA+ people since 1979. The 2025 event was scheduled from 10 to 21 August in Vic-en-Bigorre, France. The organization maintains a website at ueeh.net and communicates via email at contact@ueeh.net. It is supported by various partners and continues to publish news, pre-programs and announcements for future editions, including the opening of 2026 registrations and the announcement of UEEH 2026 dates and theme.

The first edition of the UEEH was organized from 15 to 21 July 1979 on the Luminy university campus by the Groupe de libération homosexuelle de Marseille, in particular its president Jacques Fortin, and benefited from the support of the mayor of Marseille, Gaston Defferre. However, the mayor of Aix-en-Provence, Alain Joissains, had all posters for the event in his city torn down. The event brought together several hundred people at forums and reflection workshops in the summer university part and several thousand at the gala, where Les Mirabelles performed. During this edition, the French militant homosexual community became aware of its weak capacity to exert influence, notably in the face of the two major media news stories of the year, the Fourniols affair and the Croissant affair, and restructured itself through the creation of the comité d’urgence anti-répression (COUAR then CUARH), the collectif homosexuel de l’éducation nationale (CHED) and the groupe de recherche pour une enfance différente (GRED). The second edition took place from 26 July to 1 August 1981: it hosted many discussions, notably on homosexual childhood at the initiative of the GRED, but also on homosexual writing, theatre and follitude. But it was also a moment of tension between gays and lesbians during the debate on the mixed nature of the homosexual movement in general and on vocabulary related to sexuality in particular. The third edition took place in 1983, from 10 to 17 July. Two other editions took place, in 1985 and 1987, even though they are forgotten by the organizers of the UEEH themselves. The AIDS epidemic interrupted the UEH for 12 years, before they returned in 1999, shifting from a gay and lesbian focus to LGBTQI and feminist and to a self-managed operation. In particular, the UEEH are one of the rare French LGBTQI spaces to give real visibility to transidentity. The resumption was carried out by a collective founded as an association. In 2001, the UEEH set up an action allowing the qualitative evaluation of new sexual risk-reduction documents in addition to the many workshops, documentaries, conferences-debates, shows and techno evenings. At that time, the budget allowed one person to be salaried year-round and about 800 people attended the event. Despite this, following political differences, the organizing team resigned and convened a general assembly in 2003. In 2003 the week was shortened to a weekend to hold the general assembly and define new bases more focused on self-management and feminism. The subtitle “rencontres Lesbigaytransqueers” expressed a desire to include non-mixed events. The thirteenth gathering took place from 16 to 23 July 2007 in Marseille. The theme was then international. In 2009, the UEEH turned 30 and the fifteenth gathering took place from 16 to 29 July on the Luminy campus, at the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Marseille (which has supported the initiative since 1979), on the theme “Relations intercommunautaires et Féminismes”: a week of workshops and meetings, including a day of public colloquium on the theme of feminism, and a week (a few days before and a few days after) for preparation and clean-up. Indeed, since 2008, the UEEH have tended to be a self-managed event, and are attended by more lesbians and trans people. Between 180 and 200 participants took part in 2009. In 2010, the UEEH were organized around a colloquium on the theme: “Corps et Identité”. In July 2012, the UEEH organized a general assembly to take stock of what they had become and what they wanted to move towards. The general assembly led to an overhaul of the association's organization in order to better put into practice the feminist self-management project desired by the 2003 general assembly. In 2014, the UUEH were awarded by Yagg internet users. In 2016, they were hosted for the first time at the lycée agricole de Valabre. Today, the UEEH are a feminist, international and self-organized summer camp organized by and for LGBTQIA+ people since 1979. The 2025 event took place from 10 to 21 August in Vic-en-Bigorre, France. The organization continues to publish news and announcements for future editions.

• 2026

  Announcement of UEEH 2026 dates, theme and opening of registrations.

• 2025

  2025 event held from 10 to 21 August in Vic-en-Bigorre, France.

• 2016

  UEEH hosted for the first time at the lycée agricole de Valabre.

• 2014

  UEEH awarded by Yagg internet users.

• 2012

  General assembly held in July to assess the event's direction, leading to a reorganization of the association.

• 2010

  UEEH organized around a colloquium on the theme “Corps et Identité”.

• 2009

  30th anniversary; fifteenth gathering held from 16 to 29 July on the Luminy campus and at the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Marseille on the theme “Relations intercommunautaires et Féminismes”; 180–200 participants.

• 2007

  Thirteenth gathering held from 16 to 23 July in Marseille with an international theme.

• 2003

  Following political differences, the organizing team resigned and convened a general assembly; the week was shortened to a weekend to redefine the event around self-management and feminism.

• 2001

  UEEH set up an action to qualitatively evaluate new sexual risk-reduction documents; budget allowed one salaried person and about 800 attendees.

• 1999

  UEEH return after a 12-year interruption due to the AIDS epidemic, shifting to an LGBTQI and feminist focus and self-managed operation.

• 1987

  Fifth edition held.

• 1985

  Fourth edition held.

• 1983

  Third edition held from 10 to 17 July.

• 1981

  Second edition held from 26 July to 1 August, featuring discussions on homosexual childhood, writing, theatre and follitude, and tensions between gays and lesbians.

• 1979

  First edition held from 15 to 21 July on the Luminy university campus, organized by the Groupe de libération homosexuelle de Marseille with support from mayor Gaston Defferre.

A feminist, international, self-organized LGBTQIA+ summer camp and political-cultural gathering.

• UEEH summer gathering

  Annual feminist, international and self-organized summer camp for LGBTQIA+ people.

• Workshops and forums

  Reflection and discussion workshops on various themes.

• Public colloquia

  Public conferences on themes such as feminism, body and identity.

• Gala and performances

  Cultural performances and gala evenings, such as the 1979 gala with Les Mirabelles.

1. 1International feminist and self-organized LGBTQIA+ gathering — UEEHueeh.net
2. 2Universités d’été euroméditerranéennes des homosexualitésfr.wikipedia.org
3. 3Wikidatawikidata.org