At the 35th Graz Tuntenball on 21 February, the Salzburg-based association Heublumen won the Courage Award 2026. ‘For outstanding commitment to queer visibility, education and community’, the association’s representative Florian Niederseer accepted the award. A first and a special moment for the still young association.

The members of the Heublumen – LGBTQIA+ Initiative probably didn’t expect this. One moment they are sitting at their table watching Joe Niedermayer, the main organiser of the 35th Tuntenball, present the Courage Award. The next moment they are in the spotlight themselves. Heublumen have won this very award and accept it with slight trembling hands.

Queer work in rural areas often more difficult

‘Large, established associations such as HOSI Wien do important work. But in rural areas in particular, it is often even more difficult and involves a lot more work. It usually requires an extra dose of courage. That’s why we are naming Heublumen the winners of our Courage Award this year,’ says Niedermayer, main organiser of the Tuntenball and head of the RosaLila PantherInnen organisation.

The Courage Award is the first major award for the Heublumen association. Since 2023, the association has been campaigning for queer visibility and unbiased dialogue in rural areas. What began as a small association in Pinzgau, Salzburg, has grown over almost three years into an organisation that operates across federal states and cooperates with other associations. Since the beginning of this year, the association already has over 100 members

‘It’s simply a special honour for us. The award shows us that whether in the city or in the countryside, we are here, we are queer, and our work is and remains important. We will never back down an inch,’ says Florian Niederseer, founder and chairperson of the Heublumen association.

The next public event organised by Heublumen to promote queer visibility and dialogue is the Rainbow Ratscher on 27 February in Bischofshofen.
Sebastian Brandstätter