Lesson 5.4: Knowledge and continuity

2. Burnout and continuity

Queer and feminist organising often happens in cycles. Mobilisation rises during crises, but harsh backlash, burnout, and resource loss can interrupt long-term work.

Examples across Europe show how hostile contexts create barriers:

• In Belarus, mass repression after 2020 dismantled organisations, destroyed archives, and forced experienced activists into exile. Younger organisers often must ‘reinvent the wheel’ without access to mentors or institutional memory.
• In Germany, targeted attacks on gender studies and civic educators (e.g. parliamentary inquiries, media smear campaigns) disrupted outreach work. Scholars withdrew from public engagement, slowing knowledge transfer.
• In Poland, younger activists expressed frustration at generational divides, while older activists noted hope in emerging generations – reflecting the need for intentional intergenerational work.

These examples show that when burnout and repression meet generational fragmentation, knowledge can disappear unless deliberately passed on.