Dina, Ingrid and Louise are three LGBTI activists with disabilities based in different parts of Europe. They’re fighting for disabled LGBTI people to have a seat in LGBTI movements, and for equal rights in society. This International Day of Persons With Disabilities, they tell us about their aims and activism, and how can everyone be an ally under their motto: Nothing about us without us!

Dina Bajrektarevic: “We must be included in every aspect of political, social, economical and cultural life.”

Dina is Program’s Manager at Tuzla Open Centre. She is based in Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina.

How did you get into activism in the intersection of LGBTI and disability?

I’ve been involved in LGBTI activism since the age of 18. I studied special education and rehabilitation, and I had the opportunity to volunteer with non-governmental organisations that deal with issues for persons with disabilities. I noticed the connections and similarities between the problems of both groups. I realised that both share the same or similar problems with the system that oppresses them and that it is absurd to talk about only one group when we talk about human rights.

All marginalised groups are so connected, intertwined and heterogeneous that we cannot separate them from each other. Within marginalised communities themselves, double marginalisation can occur and we as activists need to take this into account in our actions. We need to be aware of all the needs of our communities we are fighting for. I’ve realised that it is also necessary to work with the communities to raise awareness of how their multiple identities affect their privileges and life experiences. Human rights are human rights, and it is absurd to omit intersectionality in our work.

What is your current goal as an activist?

My current goal is to promote the importance and role of interactionality. I’m someone who advocates the decentralisation of activism and who does not tolerate ‘selective activism’ — because human rights are not a buffet and we cannot choose which rights we will fight for. We cannot fight for the rights of one community and ignore the other, or consciously decide not to deal with their problems as well, because I guarantee you that within the community we are fighting for, there is also the community whose problems we ignore.

“Through my activism, I want to show marginalised communities how connected they are to each other and how beautiful our diversity is.”

Dina Bajrektarevic

My goal is to try and permeate the discussion about the importance of intersectionality and how important and significant it is for our movements. Through my activism, I want to show marginalised communities how connected they are to each other and how beautiful our diversity is. I want to give meaning to how much we can be closer to each other through our identities and life experiences, and how all of that is the key to the fight — which is our common one. The current goal is to explain to people the importance of practicing solidarity.

What can LGBTI people personally do to make sure that people with disabilities are fully included in the movement and society at large?

The first thing we as the LGBTI community need to do is recognise that people with disabilities belong to our community. Our community is diverse and it is one of the things we should be proud of. Our responsibility to the members of our community is to educate ourselves about the problems and needs they have (it is important for me to emphasise that I am not referring here to any ‘special’ needs, but to specific needs arising from different levels of marginalisation). We should educate and inform ourselves about the ways of communicating, organising, practicing inclusive culture and taking care of accessibility during the planning of our events.

We must not forget that accessibility does not only mean architectural accessibility, but also ways of working, organising, approaching a particular issue etc. We have to practice being respectful and as we advocate for human rights, and include people with disabilities within our discussions. We need to remember the phrase, ‘nothing about them without them’.

What’s your message for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities?

The message for all my comrades and friends with disability is that I stand with you in solidarity at all times. All of us as a community need to ensure your recognition in the LGBTI movement and your recognition and importance in the wider community. On this day, I want you to remember how far you have come in this fight. Our common struggle for dignity, human rights and equality will never stop. It is important for me to emphasise that you are valuable to this society just because you are human.

“I want you to remember how far you have come in this fight. Our common struggle for dignity, human rights and equality will never stop.”

Dina Bajrektarevic

I want to take this moment to demand from our community to work with people with disabilities for a far more inclusive and transformative future for everyone. I would also like to demand that we involve people with disabilities in discussions and in all decision-making processes. They must be included in every aspect of political, social, economical and cultural life — I am not asking but demanding. We have to remember to include everyone and that means including people with disabilities in our movements and fights. No one will be left behind.

Happy International Day of Persons with Disabilities! For new fights! Nothing about you without you! In solidarity!

Ingrid Thunem: “I am proud of my disability, but it does not define me.”

Ingrid is a former Paralympic swimmer and activist from Norway

How did you get into activism in the intersection of LGBTI and disability?

I started to be active in the disability community cause I wanted to end discrimination and have a place to meet others in my situation. When I started to be active, I found out I was the only openly queer person in the group I was working with. I also faced quite a lot of homophobia from other disability activists. Many didn’t understand why queer rights were something that disability organisations needed to care about.

When I was a teenager I was a part of the queer community, but as my disability progressed I didn’t really feel at home and many queer spaces were totally inaccessible for me. I felt alone but I was sure there were others feeling like me, so I wanted to make a change that made it easier for other queer disabled people. That was when I decided I needed to start activism in the intersection.

(Disclaimer: in Norway, the term ‘queer’ also includes trans people, so when I speak about queer disable people, of course queer trans people are a part of it!)

“I felt alone but I was sure there were others feeling like me, so I wanted to make a change that made it easier for other queer disabled people.”

Ingrid Thunem

What is your current goal as an activist?

Right now, my goal is to raise money for physical meetings for queer and disabled people in Norway. COVID-19 left many people with disabilities isolated and alone, which has led to an increase in mental health issues and loneliness.

There has also been a spike in anti-trans coverage in the media, which has made the situation for trans people with disabilities even harder. There have been fewer physical gatherings and even though a lot of digital gatherings have been organized, I feel like we need to meet in person, both for the social aspect but also to build each other up and support each other in our ongoing activism.

We have also gotten a new Minister for Equality and Culture in Norway, so our hope is that she will listen to the concerns of queer disabled people and keep supporting us. We want to keep raising awareness and showing people that we are here, we are queer and we have disabilities as well.

What can LGBTI people personally do to make sure that people with disabilities are fully included in the movement and society at large?

This is a complex question, since disability is complex. I have a visible disability and use a wheelchair, and for me the main issues with being a part of the queer community have been access. When an event is inaccessible, it takes away my opportunity to be a part of the movement, so making sure your events are accessible is step one, but also to remember that accessibility also can mean being able to bring a carer, costume, lighting or a sign language interpreter. Accessibility is not only about ramps.

The next step is to make sure that people with invisible disabilities also feel welcome. For instance, accessing information and having the possibility to be seated or skip the line might be instrumental to securing inclusion. I think it is important to speak about access and give relevant information about your events. Also, if you see someone new at an event, speak to them. Welcome people and be inclusive.

As queer people in society we are used to facing discrimination when we are out and about, so we know its effects. Raise questions about disability accessibility. Ask for a ramp at the new club or mention accessibility at work. Together we can make a difference.

“Disabled people are as diverse as anyone else; we can be queer, and we deserve a seat at the queer table.”

Ingrid Thunem

What’s your message for the International Day of Persons With Disabilities?

My message is, don’t forget that it is all about human rights. Disabled people are as diverse as anyone else; we can be queer, and we deserve a seat at the queer table. For many people with disabilities, it is hard to be allowed to be yourself. You are pushed into a box by society, where the disability is seen as the most instrumental part of you. You are often not asked what you want or are not allowed to take ownership of your own body. I am proud of my disability, but it does not define me.

Having a disability is just one identity and one aspect of being human. Listen to people with disabilities. Don’t let a person’s disability define how you act around them, be open to the fact that everyone is different, and that diversity is what makes us better humans.

Louise Ashworth: “Making assumptions results in disabled people not being treated as equals and negates the valuable contribution that we make.”

Louise is National Chair at Barnardo’s Disability Network and member of UNISON. They are based in the UK.

How did you get into activism in the intersection of LGBTI and disability?

I experienced being LGBTI as a disabled person differently to non-disabled LGBTI people. I had to come out both as LGBTI and disabled, but there was a feeling of isolation and exclusion because meetings were held in non-accessible buildings, were not inclusive or accessible, and there was a stigma about being disabled.

I joined a protest against a LGBTI social venue in Manchester which had intentionally flouted the building provisions of the then Disability Discrimination Act. Venues were required to provide an accessible entrance and this one had steps. As a disabled person, I felt unwelcome in LGBTI venues and spaces, which were supposed to be inclusive and safe. At the time we were also experiencing homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in education, workplaces, health services, public services and most aspects of society.

As a disabled LGBTI activist, I was fortunate to be supported by my trade union, UNISON, which recognised that the voices of Black and Disabled LGBTI people were not heard and were underrepresented in both the LGBTI and disability rights movements. UNISON’s LGBT+ committee has reserved seats for disabled LGBT+ members and the national disability committee has reciprocal arrangements. My contribution is valued, and my voice heard as a disabled LGBTI person.

“Some disabled people are still being denied the right to form a family, and are often considered to be asexual or lack capacity to have consensual sexual and romantic relationships let alone be LGBTI.”

LOUISE ASHWORTH

What is your current goal as an activist?

Promoting the social and human rights models of disability which recognise people are not disabled by impairments or conditions but by barriers in society, education, workplaces, organisations, policies, accessing services and prejudiced attitudes.

Some disabled people are still being denied the right to form a family, and are often considered to be asexual or lacking in the capacity to have consensual sexual and romantic relationships let alone be LGBTI. My trade union activism includes campaigning and advocating on behalf of disabled workers to minimise barriers to employment, reasonable adjustments are provided, workplaces are accessible, and that disabled people receive a decent wage for the work they do.

In the UK, the TUC’s disability pay gap analysis has revealed that disabled workers will be working from 9 November to the end of year for nothing. It is essential that any of the work we do on LGBTI or disability is done through an intersectional lens and we need to ensure that we look at the impact for different people within our movement — for example, black disabled people experience racism including structural racism, trans disabled people experience transphobia as well as disablism ­ — and it is important that we look at how our different identities intersect.

What can LGBTI people personally do to make sure that people with disabilities are fully included in the movement and society at large?

It is important for LGBTI people to listen to disabled LGBTI people and make sure that we are included. There is a saying within the disability movement, ‘Nothing about without us’. Historically we have been segregated and institutionalised and denied independence. Some non-disabled people make assumptions about disabled people, but we are all different. Even those of us who have similar health conditions and impairments have different experiences.

“It is important for non-disabled LGBTI people to be allies to disabled LGBTI people by challenging prejudice and discrimination, supporting us in our demands, and listening to us.”

Louise Ashworth

Making assumptions results in disabled people not being treated as equals and negates the valuable contribution that we make. It is important for non-disabled LGBTI people to be allies to disabled LGBTI people by challenging prejudice and discrimination, supporting us in our demands, and listening to us. When organising events, even if they are virtual, try to make sure they are inclusive and accessible. Use appropriate language and respect individual LGBTI disabled people’s identities and contributions.

What’s your message for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities?

The theme this year is, ‘Fighting for rights in the post-COVID era’. It explores the challenges, barriers and opportunities for disabled people in the context of a global pandemic. Across Europe, we have all been impacted by the pandemic, but disabled people have been disproportionately impacted with higher death rates, reduced access to healthcare and support services, social isolation, poor mental health, financial impact and job losses. For disabled LGBTI people and black disabled LGBTI people, the impact was compounded due to marginalisation and structural racism and discrimination.

In some countries, there has been a shift. Disabled people were making some progress in respect of progressing social and human rights-based models of disability, but during the pandemic we were once again pathologised and medicalised, labelled as clinically vulnerable and denied life-saving treatment. This sent a message that we were expendable.

We need to learn from this and advocate for the human rights of disabled people and the removal of barriers that restrict our access to participation. We should build on some of the positives such as being able to virtually network and attend digital events that some disabled people would not have been able to access physically. At least one in five of us are disabled, so that means that there are many LGBTI people who will be disabled. Many of us have non-apparent impairments and conditions and we need to be advocating for the LGBTI movement to be inclusive and accessible for us all.

Many older LGBTI’s remain invisible to other elderly people, while suffering ageism within their own LGBTI communities and legal and socio-economic barriers in their countries. To mark International Day of Older Persons on October 1, we look at the worrying obstacles LGBTI people may face as they age in Europe, even in countries where LGBTI rights are ensured.

If we are lucky to live long enough, we all get older. But ageing does not affect everyone in our societies equally. LGBTI people are at greater risk of socioeconomic exclusion and lack of social protection as they grow into old age, while having specific and often overlooked needs related to health and long-term care.

On one hand, older LGBTI people can be victims of ageism within their own LGBTI communities. Ageism often desexualizes older people. As a result, it is difficult for some to acknowledge that older people have diverse sexual orientations. On the other hand, many older LGBTI people face discrimination from and remain invisible to other elderly people. Older people’s organisations frequently lack awareness of the specific needs of older LGBTI people and often fail to address their needs.

Therefore, older LGBTI people may live in uncertainty. A major source of insecurity for them is the lack of legal and social recognition of same-sex relationships or one’s legal gender, affecting their economic security and leading to social isolation.

Barriers for older same-sex couples

Currently there are 12 EU countries that do not recognise same-sex marriage, and in six EU countries same-sex couples cannot access either marriage or registered partnerships, leaving them without any legal recognition of their relationships. Property inheritance, insurance, tax inequality, and lower or denied entitlement to pensions are some of the issues same-sex couples may face across the EU. While there are no empirical data on the situation of older LGBTI people in Central Asia, they are extremely invisible across the region, many leading heteronormative lives due to stigmatisation in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and criminalisation in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, where consensual same-sex relations between men are forbidden.

Those same-sex couples residing in countries where their partnership is legally recognised do not have automatic access to the pensions and social benefits of their partners. Some countries that recently adopted marriage equality or registered partnerships have no retroactive recognition of same-sex couples’ existence, which has repercussions on their protection. Also, there’s a lack of cross-border social security coverage in EU countries where same-sex couples are not legally recognised.

This impact on access to social protection and financial security becomes particularly worrying when people get older and cannot ensure that their partner will have access to their pensions and assets. As a result, same-sex couples must often put in place specific and costly legal arrangements to try to ensure that financial decision-making and inheritance will pass to the surviving partner. Unfortunately, many are not aware that they need to make those arrangements or lack financial resources and the expertise to do so. In some cases, surviving partners can end up losing their homes to hostile relatives.

Obstacles for older trans people

In two EU countries trans people do not have access to any legal gender recognition procedures at all. In 10 EU countries legal gender recognition can be possible on condition of divorce and in six EU countries this access is possible on condition of sterilisation, which has an unavoidable impact in the recognition of trans people’s families.

In two Central Asian countries legal gender recognition is possible but extremely difficult to obtain, and sterilization is required in one of them. In three other Central Asian countries while it is possible to change gender markers on identity cards, there are still no by-laws and procedures allowing legal gender recognition.

Trans people struggle to access existing pensions after legally changing their gender, particularly if they have done so at a late stage in their career, due to non-recognition of pension contributions or years spent working under their former name. Many trans people were forced to work informally due to severe social and labour market discrimination and therefore will have difficulties to rely on pension income. In countries where trans-specific healthcare is not covered by health insurance, trans people spend a lot on their own healthcare, thereby negatively impacting their socioeconomic situation.

Difficulties for older intersex people

According to the LGBTI Survey II of the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency, 52% of intersex respondents stated that they have difficulty “making ends meet”, and 29% of intersex respondents indicated that they have had some kind of housing difficulty in their lifetime. They are more likely to experience resource issues as they age.

Intersex people have also had to endure a lifetime of traumatic and intrusive medical experiences, due to intersex genital mutilation and the consequent physical and mental health implications. This increases healthcare costs throughout their lifetime, and also impacts on their security when faced with having to live in care homes, which could be retraumatising.

Risks of social isolation

Many older LGBTI people lost their family networks after coming out. Many did not desire children or were unable to have children. Many lived through the AIDS crisis, during which time they lost relatives, friends, and partners. Hence, they may not have the same social connections and support as other older people.

Due to a lifetime of discrimination in multiple sectors, including healthcare, many older LGBTI people face insecurity when seeking healthcare as they get older, and in particular feel insecure about the social environment in institutional settings such as care homes. Even when this is not the case, older LGBTI people without children are likely to feel left out when others in care homes discuss their children and grandchildren.

According to the 2020 AGE barometer, a large proportion of older LGBTI people are at a higher risk of isolation and poverty. A recent UK study reports that 40% of LGBT people aged 50+ are living alone. Especially during Covid-19, where physical distancing and lockdown measures have stopped the activity of several clubs and charities, people relying on those alternative social networks find themselves at higher risk of isolation.

We invite LGBTI organisations, groups and activists involved in community organising to participate in our webinar on ‘Community organising for older LGBTI persons’ on Friday, October 1 at 11 AM (CEST).

THIS WEBINAR HAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE

Reaching out to and supporting older LGBTI persons, while taking into consideration intersecting identities such as sexual orientations, gender and age is crucial for our movement. At this webinar you will have the opportunity to hear from a number of prominent LGBTI activists who have extensive experience in community organising with and for older LGBTI persons.

With growing number of people above the age of 60 in Europe, according to Eurostat there will be almost half a million centenarians in the EU by 2050. In Central Asian countries, UN DESA forecasts an increase of the average life expectancy from 60 to 70 in the next 30 years. As we continue raising awareness about diversity and intersectionality within LGBTI communities, which are increasingly becoming more and more visible across Europe and Central Asia, we also encourage recognition and inclusion of older LGBTI persons’ realities and experiences in LGBTI community organising. 

This session in the ILGA-Europe series of community organising webinars marks the International Day of Older Persons 2021, and will explore how LGBTI organisations and activists in our region integrate services and activities to include older LGBTI persons and better respond to their needs as part of their community organising efforts. The event will have simultaneous English<>Russian translation.

Joining us will be:

• Alexei Marcicov (he/him), Leader of the Support Group for older gay men at GenderDoc Moldova, Co-founder of GenderDoc Moldova
• Evien Tjabbes (she/her), Board Member of the European Central Asian Lesbian Community (EL*C), Formerly coordinator at ILIS (International Lesbian Information Service)
• Carolina Brauckmann (she/her), Coordinator for the work with older LGBTI persons at the LGBT Counseling Centre Rubicon, Cologne, Germany, Board member of the Lesben und Altern Umbrella Organization in Germany
• Marc Charles Wynn-Derksen (he/him) – Ambassador (volunteer) with Roze 50+, the Netherlands 

Learn more:

Would you like to watch the recordings of our previous webinars on community organising?  Please follow this link or contact ILGA-Europe Programmes Officer Nurbek Omurov: nurbek@ilga-europe.org

To understand what LGBTI community organising is, you may register and learn more on our Online Learning Hub at: https://hub.ilga-europe.org

To know more about our policy position on inclusion of older LGBTI persons, you may read ILGA-Europe submission to the European Commission’s consultation on the Green Paper on Ageing.

Every year, ILGA-Europe publishes our Rainbow Map, charting LGBTI rights in 49 European countries. But we’re not the only benchmarking map on the scene. From sexual orientation laws in the world to inclusive churches in Europe, these charts depict the state of LGBTI rights and more across the world.

If you are reading this blog, you may be familiar with ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map. Published every May, our Rainbow Europe Map and Index illustrates the legal and policy situation of LGBTI people in 49 European countries. It’s a benchmarking tool that has been consistently tracking the development , both positive and negative, of LGBTI rights over the past 12 years.

This year, our map revealed a widespread and almost complete stagnation on human rights of LGBTI people, marking an unprecedented year in its history, with almost no positive legislative change for LGBTI people in Europe. However, the map pointed towards a gap in the clouds. We are at a juncture when governments can actively choose the right way forward. At least 15 countries have plans and policy discussions already on the table, and therefore the map could look positively different next year.

While we endeavour to chart the legal and policy situation for LGBTI people in Europe with the Rainbow Map, one benchmarking map cannot not cover all aspects of LGBTI rights. Take a look at these LGBTI maps developed by other organisations.

TGEU’s Trans Rights Map

In their map, Transgender Europe illustrate the legal rights of trans people in 54 countries in Europe and Central Asia. This year, the organisation documented an alarming decline in trans rights, as progressive countries have slowed down in increasing protections, while moderate countries have often stalled progress altogether, and a growing number of countries are removing rights from trans people.

Legal Gender Recognition — Mental Health Diagnosis

Legal Gender Recognition — Sterilisation

Asylum

Protection against hate

Non-Discrimination

OII-Europe Intersex Good Practice Map

OII-Europe’s map features nine examples of good practices from the areas of policy action, data collection, monitoring, legal gender recognition, campaigning, anti-discrimination, legislation against hate speech/crime, and funding training and counselling. Check them out here!

ILGA World’s Sexual Orientation Laws Map

Every year, along with its State-Sponsored Homophobia report, ILGA World publishes maps of sexual orientation laws in the world. A useful tool for LGB human rights defenders, these maps expose the arbitrariness of persecutory laws, and starkly indicate the absence of positive law in most parts of the world.

Rainbow Index of Churches in Europe

The European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups and the Protestant Theological University in the Netherlands have collected and analysed data on the official position of churches in Europe on their national levels. You can navigate their map rating the inclusivity of churches by country in regard to LGBTI people.Report on inclusivity of Churches towards LGBTI personsReport commissioned by the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups and produced by the Protestant Theological…inclusive-churches.eu

In our latest Podcast, BBC LGBT Correspondent, Ben Hunte sat down with us to talk about the relationship between the media and LGBTI issues, why some stories get all the attention to the detriment of others, the rise of anti-trans voices in newspapers and broadcasting, and ways we might get the real diversity of LGBTI stories picked up. Read more, and listen below!

Ben Hunte is having a problem with his rescue dog, Roxy. We’re sitting down to record an interview over Zoom, Ben talking from his London apartment, and there’s a slurping noise going on in the background.

“Oh, my God, my dog is licking herself!’ he laughs out loud. ‘Can we start again?’

He goes to put Roxy in another room, and when he comes back, still apologising, I ask how Roxy got her name. Ben explains that when the shelter sent through a photo, his partner Tom said, ‘She looks so foxy!’

“We both immediately went, ‘we have to call her Roxy!’ And it stuck. We’ve had her a year and a half now, and it’s literally the best thing that ever happened to me, to force me out for walks, force me into nature. She’s a real blessing.”

Ben is the first ever LGBT correspondent appointed by the BBC Newsroom, a job he’s been doing since 2019, reporting all LGBT-related stories on the six and ten o’clock news, across the broadcaster’s global website, and making one-off documentaries about among other things, the proliferation of so-called ‘LGBT-free Zones’ in Poland. His first year was a bit of a baptism of fire, with the COVID-19 pandemic particularly affecting LGBTI communities and providing fertile ground for a further rise of anti-LGBT authoritarianism in Europe.

“It’s been a rollercoaster,” he tells me. “I’ve been to some incredible highs, there’ve been quite a few lows. It’s very scary to speak to people about what they’re going through, and a lot of these issues aren’t really picked up and covered by international media. So, I do feel like it’s, it’s kind of on me to tell these stories. And as a result of that it does get quite taxing, but we are at a very weird time for LGBT rights internationally, so to be able to be in a role that does shine a light on some of that injustice, and some of the progress that’s being made as well, is just a fantastic opportunity and I’ve genuinely feel blessed every single day to be able to do it.”

Much of the LGBT-related media in Europe over the past two years has focused particularly on Poland and Hungary, and the backlash against LGBT rights in both countries, but they’re not an anomaly in the context of what’s happening across Europe for LGBT people and communities. I ask Ben why he think’s it’s so difficult to get the media to pick up on more nuanced stories about the issues that are facing LGBTI people?

“In the time that I’ve been an LGBT correspondent, I have seen some LGBT people that just don’t care. They’ve got their rights, they’ve got their man, they’ve got their dog, they’ve got whatever; they don’t need to pay attention now.”

“Maybe it’s that the media organisations and the social media companies don’t prioritise platforming these stories in the same way as domestic stories, so International stories just don’t get as much traffic and therefore maybe they’re not put into the same spaces. Or maybe it’s just that genuinely there’s no interest. Maybe it’s that the people just do not care. In the time that I’ve been an LGBT correspondent, I have seen some LGBT people that just don’t care, they’ve got their rights, they’ve got their man, they’ve got their dog, they’ve got whatever; they don’t need to pay attention now. Maybe it’s that things have gotten so good for some people that now they just don’t pay attention to things outside of their bubble.”

Over Ben’s two years as the UK’s most visible LGBT correspondent, there’s been a sharp rise in anti-trans voices and a lot of space given by the media to those voices. What does Ben think the effect is on trans people and communities?

“I’m seeing a lot of hurt, I’m seeing a lot of fear, as a result of the toxicity that does exist in the UK media around trans lives.”

“It’s really quite scary, to be honest,” he says. “Just before Christmas I did a story about the effect of the puberty blockers ruling in the UK and what that means to young people, and the amount of complaints that it got from people saying that we shouldn’t be platforming these trans young people to speak about their experiences. I became a journalist to expose what people are going through, and expose injustice and all of these different things. So, for me, as LGBT correspondent, I want to get to the heart of that: what are people thinking and feeling like, what are people going through as a result of this. I am seeing a lot of pain. I’m seeing a lot of hurt, I’m seeing a lot of fear, as a result of the toxicity that does exist in the UK media around trans lives. And that’s not to take any side on social media or anything like that, but just to say the actual fear and the distress that this is causing is real.”

Trans voices, of course, are not just in the UK; it’s a spreading phenomenon. But on the other side of the coin, for decades now the LGBT community has been seen as a very strong, unified, and successful force for social justice. Does Ben think the rise of anti-trans voices within the community itself sews division and maybe reduces our strength in numbers as a unified force?

“You have to understand that there are so many different views. So many opinions. So many lives, so many privileges, and so many lacking in privilege.”

“If there is one thing that I’ve genuinely noticed since taking on this role is how fractured the so-called one LGBT community is,” Ben says. “And I think it’s fascinating especially at times like this in June, when suddenly corporations are trying to attract every single member of the LGBT community with one specific campaign — paint something with a rainbow, sprinkle some glitter on it, and add some unicorns and it’s done. That’s it. They’re going to be happy with that.

“But you have to understand that there are so many different views. So many opinions. So many lives, so many privileges, and so many lacking in privilege. You do have multiple parts of your identity and the way that they intersect can hold you back, so this isn’t one homogeneous group of individuals. Yes, we share several experiences with each other, but you can be individual within that. I do know some LGB people who are not supportive of trans lives and this is why I think it’s so important to dig deeper into these into these topics and into these experiences, because the more that you paint the LGBT community as one community, the more vocal some of those people will be to speak out against whoever. That’s why we’re seeing some of these, these fractures.

“It’s also quite worrying the lengths people are going to be heard now… I think it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.”

There are a lot of other marginalised voices out there, voices that aren’t represented and for many, many intersections in society. I ask Ben how he thinks we can make sure that the diversity of voices in our community can be included and respected?

“Well, when you find the answer to that, let me know!’ he laughs. Then he adds, “I do have a few ideas, though. For me, it’s about getting out to people. I have a WhatsApp group of people who when I do a story, or I’m thinking about a story, I ask them what they think and they can give me their perspectives, and that’s been really important to me. I think everyone can really benefit from just speaking to people more and just understanding their own lived experiences. I think the internet has enabled us to do that. If I want to find out the experiences of an asexual person, I can literally search the hashtags on Instagram, on Twitter, on Tik-Tok and I can find those lived experiences, and I can speak to that person.

“There are so many resources that are out there to learn more about these experiences, to the point now that I would say that a lot of so-called marginalised communities may not even class themselves as marginalised because they’ve got their community, they’re living their best lives. They’ve got their audiences, they’ve got their platforms and they’re happy.

I don’t think that with traditional media, maybe not covering certain voices in the same way or maybe advertisers not covering it in the same way, I don’t think that has like a direct reflection on what people actually think about their own identities now, because representation is out there, it’s happening, whether you like it or not people are literally standing up to be counted.”

“When I joined the news, I very quickly realised that there was not really anyone that looked like me or sounded like me.”

Diverse people may be standing up to be counted on social media, but in the traditional media there are very narrow stories. As our conversation winds down, I ask Ben, in an ideal word, what role should the mainstream media play for LGBT people?

“When I joined the news, I very quickly realised that there was not really anyone that looked like me or sounded like me, or was doing what I wanted to do, and therefore I had to make my own path,” he says. “I would hope that in me getting this role, other people are realising that they can do this. I would hope that the media becomes more representative of the people that are out there reading and watching the content. I think we’ve seen some real change as a result of Black Lives Matter, so over the next few years I would really hope that representation does increase amongst more diverse communities.

To be able to see that on the inside would be fantastic. But I think from the outside, that’s where you really need to see it, because it isn’t an us versus them mentality. I report on the stories that people tell me, and if people stop telling me things, I have nothing to report. People will go through things and think ‘I need to tell Ben at the BBC about this’ before anything else, sometimes before telling the police. It’s such a humbling thing to know that I’ve built up that trust, but that’s what we need more of. We need people to trust those that are providing the news with their stories because these are huge platforms. This is your experience, this is what you’re going through, these are the stories that need to be told. And if you don’t feel you can go to the media with your story, do it yourself. Become a journalist. Amost everyone has the power to write. So, put your story out there and see what can be done.”

To mark #InternationalSexWorkersDay on June 2, we talked to Sabrina Sánchez, trans migrant sex worker based in Spain, on her journey, the pandemic and why sex workers rights are central to the LGBTI movement.

Sabrina Sánchez can say she’s mostly happy. Happy and tired. Last month, she attended the Trans United Europe conference in Amsterdam, supported by the No One Left Behind fund from ILGA-Europe. Just before our conversation she was at another meeting and later on the same day, she’s participating in an event organised by the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, the topic is “this sort of gentrification of sex workers’ aesthetics in music”. Finally, the Spanish Supreme Court has recently recognised the right of sex workers to unionise, thanks to the pledge of Spain’s Sex Workers Organisation (OTRAS). All in all, Sabrina is satisfied, but she could also take some time off.

Before joining the International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSE) as Programs Officer, her routine was already very similar to that of an office worker. “Contrary to what people think about sex workers, that we are only, exclusively night creatures, I wake up very early,” she says. “I have a breakfast, check my email. I try to go to the gym three times a week to keep in shape; it’s part of the business, but also to feel okay with myself.” Then, she may have an appointment with a client or may reply to questions from the sex worker’s community, all while keeping up with her personal life, making plans with a girlfriend, maybe, for a day at the beach.

Since she’s joined ICRSE, she goes to the gym less often but enjoys the financial stability. “It helps you to think better, to not worry how you’re going to have enough to pay your rent next month.” Originally from Mexico City, where she lived until the age of 25, Sabrina has been in Spain for over a decade. She doesn’t hold citizenship yet, as the bureaucratic procedures are far from straightforward.

Coming out, and a new life

“I am privileged enough to say that that I come from a family that supported my transition and my life decisions,” Sabrina says. “When my gender identity was revealed, my mother said: ‘Now there are more reasons for you keep studying. You have to go to college to get tools you will need, because it’s going to be a lot more difficult for you now.” This is a normal worry for parents to have, but, unfortunately, it’s often the contrary. Trans females are usually kicked out of the family home.”

After majoring in Communications at the National Autonomous University of México (UNAM), it was time for Sabrina to leave the country of her birth. “I knew that there was no future for transwomen in Mexico. And I always felt that that Mexico was not really my place. I didn’t belong there.”

She had some connections in Catalonia, but she hit a language barrier when she arrived. Spanish, her mother tongue, was not much help in a place where speaking Catalan is mandatory. “I decided to engage in sex work because my savings were already gone. I had no documentation, no language and I couldn’t even get a job cleaning houses.”

When COVID-19 hit

“The complete lockdown in Spain made it almost impossible for sex workers to earn a living,” she says. The measures in public spaces were not the only reason. “Everybody was watching, everybody was surveillant,” says Sabrina. “So, we couldn’t go about our work.”

The state provided insufficient protection. Those eligible for public aid only received about 60 euro per week, so sex workers collectives got together and organised a crowdfunding that raised 35,000 euro. “This sounds like a lot but it’s not much when you have you spread it among 350 people,” says Sabrina. When the lockdown relaxed and a curfew was put in place, street sex workers returned to public spaces in daylight, which got a lot of negative media attention. “Of course, they had to go back to work,” Sabrina says. “Nobody was giving them any money.”

Many regular clients disappeared because of the pandemic. “Guys were scared of getting Covid,” Sabrina explains. “Clients are usually the everyday men that surround us, they are your uncle, your dad, your brother. They didn’t want to get sick and give it to their families. Those thoughtful people, the good clients disappeared, and we were left to deal with the assholes.”

“Restrictions apart, what has affected sex workers most is the attitude of the people. In the context where sex work is criminalised, like in France, violence has risen a lot because you have this narrative of sex workers being criminals, or the ‘other’ — a group of the population who are not desirable. You can do whatever to us because we are not seen as actual workers. We are something to reject easily, or we are victims to rescue. You can give us a couple of cents and a sewing machine and should be happy now, because we are not ‘selling our bodies’.”

While across Europe we start to return to a semblance of the old days, the issues sex workers were facing before 2020 are still present. In Spain, there are two draft bills that could affect sex work, by criminalising their working premises or conflating sex work with trafficking.

“None of these laws addresses the structural problems that make us sell sex in first place,” says Sabrina. “They punish the client, but what if instead they created options for people who are in sex work because they don’t have access another jobs, people like trans women? If they created opportunties, then maybe less people would be put in a position where they have to engage in sex work. But no, they want to address socio economical problems with a penal code. That never works.

“By criminalising sex work, governments are reinforcing the scenario they say they want to save us from. Instead of regularising undocumented migrant sex workers, as has happened in Portugal, criminalisation may lead to directing more funding to anti-immigration enforcement. In countries like Sweden, who are deporting migrant sex workers, they are returning them to the hands of traffickers. They will want to come back to Europe and they will have to pay for that journey again.”

Sex workers and the LGBTI community

Sex workers have found resistance within the LGBTI movement too. Some say sex workers are not good for their image. “I’m talking mostly to the white, cis, gay men, who are the ones that have the privileges, the capital, and the money. But the ones that started the riots that ultimately led to such privilege, were two trans sex workers of colour.”

Sabrina is referring to Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, whose sparking of Stonewall riots over 50 years ago shaped Pride events around the world and the LGBTI movement as we know it today. However, as Sabrina asserts, Johnson and Rivera’s demands have still not been met.

“After all these years, we are still asking for the basic necessities: housing, work, and respect for our identities.”

On 7 April, in the midst of an ongoing global pandemic, we celebrated World Health Day with the motto: “Building a fairer, healthier world”. But to make this a reality the voices and needs of the most marginalised, including LGBTI people, must be front and centre. Here is how ILGA-Europe and the Nobody Left Outside initiative are working together to build on this vision.

The COVID-19 crisis has made it clear that nobody is safe until everybody is safe. Health and access to healthcare is one of the seven areas where COVID-19 has hugely impacted LGBTI people, organisations and communities in Europe and Central Asia. Although the corona virus does not discriminate, already marginalised groups have been hit harder by the pandemic and yet remain among the least protected. These vulnerable communities include LGBTI people as well as people experiencing homelessness, undocumented migrants, sex workers, people who use drugs and prisoners.

The Nobody Left Outside (NLO) initiative, with the participation of ILGA-Europe, is a collective of organisations representing some of the most marginalised communities in Europe, for whom access to healthcare is not straightforward. It aims to improve healthcare access for these people and calls on policy makers in the EU, at local and international levels, to take the following critical actions:

1. Establish a knowledge platform

Marginalised groups have specific and intricate healthcare needs. However, specific expertise, research and interventions are limited and scattered across Europe. The European Commission should support the establishment of an EU-level knowledge platform to compile and share research and best practices in healthcare access for marginalised, under-served groups. This should be led by academics active in the field, in close collaboration with civil society networks and organisations.

2. Train health and social care providers

Health and social care providers often lack suitable education to deal with the complex challenges faced by marginalised communities. The European Commission should support healthcare training and capacity building via the European Social Fund+. These programmes should include suitable training to educate and enable all staff providing services for marginalised communities and peer training. They should include training to avoid stigma and discrimination, and aim to reinforce collaboration between healthcare staff and community workers. An inspiring example is Health4LGBTI, an EU funded pilot project aiming at reducing health inequalities experienced by LGBTI people.

3. Implement the NLO Service Design Checklist

The NLO Service Design Checklist helps to design and deliver health and support services that are accessible to underserved and marginalised people. The European Commission should support a pilot programme to evaluate its implementation. You can download the NLO Service Design Checklist here.

4. Support Joint Action

International collaboration between academia, advocacy organisations and healthcare providers is key to driving improvements. EU Joint Actions aim to develop tools, methods and approaches and to build capacity through collaboration. Therefore, the European Commission should support a Joint Action to improve access to health and support services among marginalised and under-served communities, which should include the implementation of guidelines for monitoring and evaluation.

5. Support funding for research into access to cancer services

Some cancers are more common in marginalised groups or have worse outcomes due to delays in diagnosis and access to care. The Horizon Europe research programme mission on cancer should support funding for research to help improve access to cancer screening and care services among people in marginalised underserved communities.

6. Make health core to all policies

Healthcare should not be taken in isolation, but in connection to lifestyle, living conditions and other socio-economic determinants. The European Commission should further prioritise a coordinated approach and consider the impacts of health policies beyond the health sector, such as the Digital Single Market.

Every 27th of January, the world pays tribute to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and reaffirms the unwavering commitment to counter antisemitism, antigypsyism, racism, and other forms of intolerance that may lead to group-targeted violence.

On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, ERGO Network, ILGA-Europe, Victim Support Europe (VSE) and the European Disability Forum (EDF) call on national governments and inter-governmental organisations to ensure the safety of all minorities who are targets for Europe’s extremists.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day reminds us of the millions of Roma, Jewish, lesbians, gays, intersex and transgender people, persons with disabilities, political opponents, Jehovah witnesses and other victims of the Holocaust. It is also a poignant date in the calendar to celebrate the lives of those who survived.

Simply remembering the Holocaust is no longer enough. States must ensure the protection of human rights and the security of citizens, regardless of their race or ethnicity, religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. Laws must be applied and enforced to prevent of the proliferation of racist and extremist ideologies which threaten harm to others.

The Holocaust took place because governments, institutions and civil society remained passive as prejudice, discrimination and hate flourished. Today is reminder to us all that the mistakes of the past should not be repeated.

Why is it celebrated every 27th of January?

On 1 November 2005, the United Nations General Assembly approved the designation of 27 January as the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

The United Nations chose 27 January because it was on 27 January 1945 that the Soviet Army liberated the prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

The purpose of setting this date is to ensure that Member States develop educational programmes to show future generations the historical reality of the deplorable and repudiatory events of the Holocaust, in order to prevent future acts of genocide.

ILGA-Europe, ENAR and 150 organisations across Europe co-signed this open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to raise our serious concerns regarding the lack of reaction of EU leaders regarding police brutality against people of colour in Europe as well as institutional and structural racism.

Dear Ms. von der Leyen,

As organisations working for an equal and inclusive Europe, we would like to raise our serious concerns regarding the lack of real reaction of EU leaders regarding police brutality against people of colour in Europe as well as institutional and structural racism, following the killing of George Floyd in the United States and ensuing solidarity protests in Europe and across the world. We were appalled by the statement by EU Commissioner Schinas which delegitimises the public outcry against police brutality and institutional racism in Europe.

On 3 June 2020, Commissioner Schinas was quoted in the Financial Times as saying that events such as the killing of African-American man George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the wave of demonstrations against it, were “not likely?.?.?.?to happen in Europe at this scale”. “I do not think that we have issues now in Europe that blatantly pertain to police brutality or issues of race transcending into our systems. But we do have an issue in Europe, which is the issue of inequalities and income distribution — making the best for everyone of what we have.”

As an EU Commissioner, Mr. Schinas should have shown empathy with the victims of widespread racism in the EU. Instead his reckless statement has denied racialised communities across the EU the recognition of the oppression they are subjected to on a daily basis.

His statement is a blatant denial of the existence of police brutality and discriminatory policing in Europe, despite evidence of this reality, including from EU bodies themselves, such as the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, which found that one quarter of all persons of African descent surveyed were stopped by the police in the five years before the survey, and among these, 41% characterised the most recent stop as racial profiling. In France, young men perceived as black or Arab are 20 times more likely to be controlled by police than others. In the UK, data shows that the proportion of black and ethnic minority deaths in custody as a result of use of force or restraint by the police, is over two times greater than it is in other deaths in custody. Roma people across Europe also experience racial profiling and police violence. This is not a new issue. For decades, ENAR and anti-racist organisations on the ground have been reporting what racialised communities experience at the hands of the police across the European Union: discriminatory stop and search, abuse, violence and even death. So far, however, there has been little visibility and no public response.

EU and member state leaders pointed fingers at the United States for the killing of George Floyd and police brutality, while maintaining a deafening silence on the situation in their own countries, going as far as denying that police violence is an issue in Europe. This lack of reaction reflects a denial of long-standing existence of systems of oppression in European societies, of historical injustices and persistent racial inequalities in areas of housing, healthcare, employment and education, as well as repeated experiences of state violence and impunity.

The bare minimum that EU leaders should do is acknowledge the existence of and publicly condemn discriminatory and violent police practices, in particular when it results in death. But most European political leaders were not even able to do that.

There is an urgent need to ensure fair and effective policing practices for all communities. EU member state governments must adopt measures to combat and prevent racism in law enforcement. This includes severe sanctions in cases of police violence, ensuring fair and independent investigations, prohibiting racial profiling, and increasing racial diversity and trainings within the police force. The EU and its Member States should also collect equality data to make visible where racial profiling, disproportionate use of force and deaths following an interaction with the police are happening. Such data should enable intersectional cross-analysis, for example to identify specific experiences of racialised women.

Twenty years ago, the European Union was at the forefront of the fight against racial discrimination when it adopted landmark laws to prohibit discrimination based on race or ethnic origin. In a time of rising racist violence, persistent discrimination and racial inequality, the European Commission must have a stronger, more public commitment to address police violence and structural racism in Europe.

We would be happy to meet you to discuss our concerns in more detail and propose solutions, and look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Karen Taylor, Chair of the European Network Against Racism

Co-signed by:
1. ABVV-ACOD Cultuur, Belgium
2. ACLI-Vlaanderen vzw, Belgium
3. Aditus Foundation, Malta
4. Africa Solidarity Centre, Ireland
5. African and Caribbean Diversity, United Kingdom
6. African Media Association, Malta
7. AGE Platform Europe
8. AIF+ – Actieve Interculturele Federatie vzw, Belgium
9. AKAZ – Kazumba Association, Portugal
10. Alliance Citoyenne, France
11. Altera, Italy
12. Andalucía Acoge, Spain
13. ANTIGONE – Information and Documentation Centre on Racism, Ecology, Peace and Non-Violence, Greece
14. Anti-Racist Forum, Finland
15. Apna Haq, United Kingdom
16. Arciragazzi Portici, Italy
17. ASKV Refugee Support, Netherlands
18. Asociación Musulmana por los Derechos Humanos (AMDEH), Spain
19. Asociacion Nacional Presencia Gitana, Spain
20. Asociación Rumiñahui, Spain
21. Association of African Students in Europe (AASE)
22. ASTI asbl – Associations de soutien aux travailleurs immigrés, Luxembourg
23. Ba Omar, Ecowasflanders, Belgium
24. Balbriggan Integration Forum, Ireland
25. BAMKO-CRAN asbl, Belgium
26. Ban Ying Koordinations- und Beratungsstelle gegen Menschenhandel e.V., Germany
27. BePax, Belgium
28. Café Congo, Belgium
29. CCME, the Churches´ Commission for Migrants in Europe
30. CEJI-A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe
31. Center for Equality Advancement, Lithuania
32. Center for Intersectional Justice, Germany
33. Center for Migration, Gender and Justice, Germany
34. Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Germany
35. Centre de Médiation des Gens du Voyage et des Roms, Belgium
36. Centre for Peace Studies, Croatia
37. Centre Régional de Verviers pour l’Intégration, Belgium
38. Centre Régional d’Intégration de Charleroi, Belgium
39. Collectif Contre l’Islamophobie en Belgique (CCIB), Belgium
40. Collectif Contre l’Islamophobie en France (CCIF), France
41. Collectif féministe Kahina, Belgium
42. Collectif Mémoire Coloniale, Belgium
43. Confédération des Syndicats Chrétiens (CSC), Belgium
44. Conseil Représentatif des Associations Noires (CRAN), France
45. Counsellor Sanchia Alasia, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, United Kingdom
46. Discrimination Law Association, United Kingdom
47. Dokumentations- und Beratungsstelle Islamfeindlichkeit & antimuslimischer Rassismus, Austria
48. Each One Teach One e.V. (EOTO), Germany
49. Een Andere Joodse Stem (EAJS), Belgium
50. ELLA vzw, Belgium
51. EMCEMO, Netherlands
52. ENAR Belgium
53. Equal Opportunities Initiative Association, Bulgaria
54. European Council for Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
55. European Forum of Muslim Women (EFOMW)
56. European Network of Women of African Descent (ENWAD)
57. European Network On Religion and Belief
58. European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network
59. European Roma Information Office (ERIO)
60. European Roma Rights Centre
61. European Women’s Lobby
62. Federation of Roma Associations in Catalonia – FAGiC, Spain
63. FMV vzw, Belgium
64. Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO)
65. Foundation for Shelter and Support to Migrants, Malta
66. Fundación Al Fanar para el Conocimiento Árabe, Spain
67. Furia, Belgium
68. Generation 2.0 RED, Greece
69. Greek Forum of Migrants, Greece
70. Grupo EducAR – Anti Racist Education, Portugal
71. Hand in Hand tegen racisme, Belgium
72. Hart Boven Hard, Belgium
73. Help Refugees, United Kingdom
74. Human Rights League (Liga za ?udské práva), Slovakia
75. IDB Initiative für ein diskriminierungsfreies Bildungswesen, Austria
76. Il Razzismo è una brutta storia, Italy
77. ILGA-Europe
78. In IUSTITIA, Czech Republic
79. Inequalities Research Network, University of Leeds, United Kingdom
80. InMenteItaca, Italy
81. Instituto de Asuntos Culturales – IACE, Spain
82. Integratipact vzw, Belgium
83. Integro Association, Bulgaria
84. Intercultural Dialogue Platform, Belgium
85. Irish Network Against Racism, Ireland
86. Jesuit Refugee Service Europe
87. Jesuit Refugee Service Malta
88. Job@Ubuntu, Belgium
89. Kaneza Karen, former ENAR board member, Belgium
90. KARAMAH EU
91. Killion Munyama, Polish MP
92. King Brenda, ACDiversity, United Kingdom
93. KISA – Action for equality, support, anti-racism, Cyprus
94. Kopin – Koperazzjoni Internazzjonali, Malta
95. Kreativ Research Association-Center for Media Studies and Social Research, Romania
96. La Voix des Rroms, France
97. Lallab, France
98. Le Monde des Possibles, Belgium
99. Ligue des droits humains, Belgium
100. Malta Emigrants’ Commission, Malta
101. Merhaba, Belgium
102. Migrant Tales, Finland
103. Migrant Women Association, Malta
104. Minderhedenforum, Belgium
105. MOC, Belgium
106. Movimento di Cooperazione Educativa di Torino, Italy
107. MRAX ASBL, Mouvement contre le Racisme, l’Antisémitisme et la Xénophobie, Belgium
108. Muslim Association of Greece, Greece
109. Mwinda Kitoko vzw, Belgium
110. Netzwerk Rassismus und Diskriminierungsfreies Bayern e.V., Germany
111. Nevo Parudimos Association, Romania
112. NiLi, Network Italiano dei Leader per l’Inclusione, Italy
113. Objectif, mouvement pour l’égalité des droits asbl, Belgium
114. ORBIT vzw, Belgium
115. Pan-African Movement for Justice, Sweden
116. Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)
117. Por Ti Mujer, Spain
118. Quaker Council for European Affairs
119. Queer Base – Welcome & Support for LGBTIQ Refugees, Austria
120. Rainbowhouse Brussels, Belgium
121. Red Acoge, Spain
122. Red Española de Inmigración y Ayuda al Refugiado, Spain
123. Refugee Rights Europe
124. Reghif Mouhad, Bruxelles Panthères, Belgium
125. Regional Roma Educational Youth Association – RROMA, North Macedonia
126. Rete21marzo, Italy
127. REVIBRA Europe – European Support Network to Brazilian women in Europe
128. Roma Active Albania
129. Roma Community Centre, Lithuania
130. Roma Education Fund
131. Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative REDI
132. Roots vzw, Belgium
133. Samenlevingsopbouw, Belgium
134. SEER vzw, Belgium
135. SHARE Forum, Belgium
136. Siempre-Making Latin Women Visible, Belgium
137. Slovo 21, Czech Republic
138. SolidarityNow, Greece
139. SOS Malta, Malta
140. Stichting OCAN, Netherlands
141. Stichting voor mensen zonder verblijfsvergunning – STIL Utrecht, Netherlands
142. Tayush, Belgium
143. Uganda Association of Ireland, Ireland
144. UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab – People of of African Descent and the SDGs e-team
145. Union des Progressistes Juifs de Belgique (UPJB), Belgium
146. Vaiya Alfiaz, former coordinator of the EP Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup
147. Victoria Deluxe vzw, Belgium
148. Vie Féminine, Belgium
149. Voice of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians, Kosovo
150. Waterford Integration Services, Ireland
151. WoW e.V., Germany
152. CeRAIC, Belgium

Adopted from Sri Lanka to a family in the Netherlands when she was just ten days old, Cherine Mathot survived childhood cancer which left her with a disability, and she came out as bisexual at the age of 15. In advance of International Women’s Day this coming Sunday (March 8), Cherine tells us how her experiences have informed her work for the LGBTI organisation COC Nederlands.

Activist Cherine Mathot currently works as Manager of Communications and Fundraising at the Dutch organisation, COC Nederlands, which advocates for LGBT rights nationally and internationally. “We are active in more than thirty-five countries,” she tells us for the Voices of ILGA-Europe project. “We try to bring people together, give them support where they need it, and empower them to make social changes.”

Cherine had her struggles growing up in The Netherlands. “I was adopted from Sri Lanka when I was only ten days old,” she says. “I grew up in an environment where I was the only coloured person, and at the age of ten years, I had bone cancer in my left leg, which left me disabled. When I was fifteen years old, I came out as bisexual to my adoptive parents and they didn’t respond that well.”

Alone and ashamed

“All these experiences together made me feel different in all sorts of ways, and it was not always easy. I felt alone and ashamed in many periods in my life, but it’s also made me a bit stronger as a person and to be able to connect with a lot of diverse people. I think that’s my intrinsic motivation for being an activist, because I find it very important that people are seen for who they are and respected, that they have a chance to be themselves and to have a place in society.”

Cherine’s experience as a bisexual woman particularly informs her activism. “I think there are a lot of things to do for our visibility and acceptance,” she says. “I didn’t really feel part of the community when I was dating men, because I had a heterosexual lifestyle, but now I’m currently in a relationship with a woman, so I feel more part of the community. So that’s a really strange thing because I’m not changing, I’m still me, Cherine, and I’m bisexual, so I think that’s a challenge.”

Persistence pays off

Although Cherine’s adoptive parents were not accepting when she first told them about being bisexual, she didn’t let it rest there.

“I was very persistent in showing and telling them, ‘this is who I am’,” she says. “So I came home with my then-girlfriend and sat down on the couch holding hands, and talked to them about what it means to be bisexual. Slowly, gradually they changed their minds and now they are very accepting and very supportive. I find it an inspiration that people are able to change.”

We interviewed Cherine at the last ILGA-Europe conference in Prague in October 2019. It was her second year to be in attendance. “Last year, I encountered all the bi-plus activists and I was really inspired and also supported by the feeling that there are people like me with the same experiences,” she says. “I think all the discussions you [ILGA-Europe] have about LGBTI issues really help me in shaping my work for COC Nederlands, so I’m very happy with you!”

February 6 is Sámi National Day, when indigenous communities from the Sápmi region in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia commemorate the first Sámi congress, which was held in 1917. LGBTI Sámi activist, Anne Olli tells us what it means to be at the intersection of two minorities –and what you can do to be a Sámi ally!

LGBTI and Sámi activist Anne Olli, or as she would introduce herself in Sámi language, Ville Ristena Pirkko Anne, is the vice-chair of the Finnish Sámi Youth Organisation (Suomi Sámi Nuorat) and a board member at the Finnish LGBTI rights organization, Seta. Born and raised in Ivalo, in Finnish Sápmi, and living today in Oulu, the 26-year-old activist talks to us for Sami National Day about the double stress of belonging to two minorities, the milestones on her activist journey, and the challenges ahead.

Hei, Anne! Happy Sámi National Day! To start with, could you tell us about how you became an activist?

I think I’ve always been more or less of an activist, be it over environmental questions, indigenous rights or LGBTI rights. But when it comes to LGBTI rights, the story is that after Kautokeino’s Sápmi Pride in 2016 I told the organisers that I’d be willing to help in some way in organising Sápmi Pride to Inari the following year. A few months later I noticed that I was actually the main organiser of Sápmi Pride! So that’s how it started.

Tell us about any milestones on your journey so far, that you are particularly proud of.

Inari’s Sápmi Pride turned out fine, even though there were many problems along the way. Almost 200 people showed up for the parade — that’s a big number for a small village. Later, Seta’s youth committee awarded me with the title of the Rainbow Youth 2018 and I won the category Activist of the Year at Finland’s QX Awards. I was also proud to give a statement about Sámi LGBTI issues at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in April 2019.

What are the biggest challenges that LGBTI Sámi people face?

Loneliness is a big challenge for us, because there aren’t so many of us, and the distances can be very large. We also have to deal with multiple discriminations, where we get discriminated for both our Sámi background and queerness. Belonging to two minorities can bring double stress — as Sámi, there are always threats to our culture and languages, which we need to react to, and at the same time we need to fight homophobia and transphobia and try to lead our normal lives at work or in school, and so on. So, it might not be a surprise that mental illnesses are usual and burnouts happen way too often.

What have been some of the achievements of Sámi LGBTI activists?

Sápmi Pride has been organised every year, since it started in 2014. This is a big achievement, because every year it has been such a big struggle. We activists have also raised the awareness about our existence and issues in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Not everyone knows about the Sámi, even in these countries, and when they hear that there are also LGBTI people among Sámi, they can be really surprised!

How can readers of this blog be good allies to Sámi LGBTI communities?

Educate yourself about Sámi people in general — Say it in Saami is an excellent source for basic information and also a great tool for learning some words and phrases! Follow Sápmi Pride and Sámi LGBTI organization, Garmeres on Facebook and Instagram. If you’re visiting Sápmi, visit Sámi museums and avoid buying cheap ‘Sámi’ stuff at souvenir shops. Be respectful, give space and don’t make assumptions — we are unique individuals with our own stories and experiences just like everyone else. Invite and include us, but do not expect us to be able to do everything for free.

ILGA-Europe is inviting organisations and groups from Europe and Central Asia to apply for this new funding opportunity to support D/deaf and disabled LGBTI activism*. The last day to submit your application (deadline) is Monday 10 February 2020.

D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people face specific barriers and challenges when accessing human rights. Accessibility and inclusiveness have increasingly been part of LGBTI groups and organizations’ conversations and practices. Yet most D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people continue to be marginalised in LGBTI movements across Europe and Central Asia. At ILGA-Europe, we want to contribute to changing that.

In November 2019 we hosted a gathering of 11 D/deaf and disabled LGBTI activists from nine countries throughout the European region. Priorities identified during the gathering are around: connecting voices and ideas and visibility of D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people, educating LGBTI and disability organisations, campaign and advocacy for legal and policy changes. A clear interest to work at an international level was also expressed as well as the importance of having D/deaf and disability LGBTI people leading on this work.

In line with the conclusions of the gathering and as part of our work to support the LGBTI movement in Europe and Central Asia, ILGA-Europe is now inviting you to apply for this new funding opportunity to support D/deaf and disabled LGBTI activism. The last day to submit your application (deadline) is Monday 10 February 2020.

Do not hesitate to contact us via email at valeria@ilga-europe.orgor by calling 0032 2 609 56 52 (Valeria’s number at ILGA-Europe):

• If you have doubts or questions related to this funding opportunity.
• If you need support with your application.
• If you will not be able to apply but you would still like to be informed about this work. 

Priorities for this funding opportunity:

1) With this funding we will support projects that prioritize:

• Connection: D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people voices and ideas are more connected and less isolated;
• Legal and policy change: Through advocacy work there are fewer barriers to D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people enjoying their human rights;
• Visibility: D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people experiences and activism are more visible.

2) An additional priority is about the LGBTI (and disability) movement becoming more aware and accessible for D/deaf and disabled LGBTI people. With this fund we want to support projects that:

• Create results that remain also after the fund is finished.
• Is part of a longer process of developing D/deaf and disabled LGBTI activism in Europe and Central Asia.
• Create knowledge, tools, practices that can be used by other activists for similar purposes;
• Keeps into account a regional and cross-country perspective.

Activities that can be supported:

Examples of activities that can be included in project proposals are:

• Needs assessment or planning activities for your organisation or group;
• Community activities, online or in person, to meet and engage with more D/deaf and disabled people;
• Advocacy work around policy or legal change that is important to D/deaf and disabled people;
• Communication activities and campaign online and offline;
• Development of educational materials such as publications or trainings;
• Meetings or events to build alliances or learn from each other;
• Any other activity that is in line with the priorities of this fund;
• Etc. 

Project proposals must be different from any other project you have already in place. ILGA-Europe wants to make the learning of these projects available for LGBTI activists in Europe and Central-Asia. As such, we expect applicants to be willing to share their learning with us.

Examples of costs that you can include in your project are: travel costs such as flight, train or bus tickets; accommodation costs for instance in a hotel; meals costs; food for coffee breaks; cost to rent a room for an activity; costs to pay for salaries of those involved in the project; costs for design or printing publications or other materials; costs to ensure accessibility of activities such as sign language interpretation, speech to text captioning; costs to cover reasonable adjustments when it comes to accommodation, transportation or operating costs linked to the project (for example a share of your organisations rent, internet bill or stationery) among others.

Examples of costs that you cannot include in the budget are: alcoholic drinks; purchases of equipment (such as laptops, projectors or similar items) or purchases of real state among others.

Who can apply for this funding opportunity?

Registered organisations led by D/deaf and disabled LGBTI activists are encouraged to submit project proposals; proposals from LGBTI organisations working on the intersection of LGBTI and disability are also eligible.

We also welcome projects where an unregistered group operates with the support of a registered organisation. If your group is not registered (you do not have a bank account, etc.) you can partner with a registered organisation and have them applying with you and supporting the project administration.

We will also welcome proposals for projects to which ILGA-Europe would contribute part of the funding. For example, if your group is part of an organisation which is in position to develop a larger project and fund part of it, ILGA-Europe would consider being a co-funder to this project. The one requirement is that this would be supporting important activities that would not happen without this funding.

No matter what form your activities take (registered organisation or informal group) you need to have some experience in running projects, including financially. In case, you doubt on applying, please do not hesitate to reach out to us as we can support you with your assessment. ILGA-Europe also provides support in grant management in the form of webinars and meetings aimed at explaining the financial management requirements for the project.

Applicants must be based in the 54 countries of Europe and Central Asia

Budget available:

We plan to make up to 5 grants in the range of 3.000€-5.000 €. Projects can last a maximum of 6 months and have to finish before the 15 October 2020. For this call, ILGA-Europe has a total budget of 17.000 €.

How to apply for this fund:

You have to fill in this application form by 10 February 2020; this is the preferred option: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DdeafanddisabledLGBTIactivism

You can also fill in the same application form in word format and send it to this email address: valeria@ilga-europe.org

In order to promote accessibility for all we also welcome video applications. This is limited to applicants that do not have the capacity to write an application. Video applications need to answer the same questions as written applications so check the whole application form before and make sure you address those questions in the video. The video must be a maximum of 10 minutes. Please use .mp4 and .mov formats. We appreciate and encourage videos that are “Selfie-style.” You can record yourself looking directly at your smartphone, tablet or computer. No special effects, labels, or editing are required. Videos will not be accepted if we cannot see who is speaking on behalf of the organization. We will require organization’s to submit contact information and the budget template in writing.

You can send us the video application via WeTransfer or sharing a link to a Dropbox or Google Drive folder. Please send the link to this email address: valeria@ilga-europe.org. Do not attach the video to the email as the size will be too large and it will not go through.

Applications written or video must be submitted in English. The last day to submit your application (deadline) is Monday 10 February 2020.

What is going to happen and when?

• The last day to submit your application (deadline) is Monday 10 February 2020.
• We will review applications and decide on projects to support by 24 February 2020.
• We will inform all applicants about the result of the review via e-mail or other contacts provided in the application.
• For the project selected, we may ask additional questions or clarifications to the applicants. Together, we will also compile a more detailed budget.
• Once all these steps are taken, and in case we have answers to all the questions and doubts, the project will receive final approval and we will send you the contract together with a Payment Request Form (PRF) We will work so that all contracts are signed between the 1 of April and the 30 of April. Activities might start from the day in which the contract is dated
• For this funding, we will send you the 80% of the budget within 4 weeks of signing the contract and receiving the PRF. The remaining 20% is to be transferred at the end of the project once the final narrative and financial reports are submitted and approved.
• No matter when the contract is signed the project activities must finish by the 15 of October 2020.
• By 30 October 2020 you will have to submit a final narrative and financial report. We will review the reports and ask additional questions if needed.
• During the 5 or 6 months of project we will have regular contacts (every one or two months).

What will ILGA-Europe do and how you can connect with us:

• If you are interested in this opportunity and you have questions or doubts please contact us and we will do our best to support.
• Once projects are selected we will work with those involved to answer questions or doubts, look together at the planning for the project and to revise the budget if needed.
• When project activities will be implemented we will be available to support in case you experience problems or need suggestions on how to go about some aspects of your work.
• We will work to collect learning from the work done under this funding and we will circulate this knowledge for instance with articles, educational materials, online learning sessions among others.  

Do not hesitate to contact us via email at valeria@ilga-europe.org or by calling 0032 2 609 56 52 (Valeria’s number at ILGA-Europe):

• If you have doubts or questions related to this funding opportunity.
• If you need support with your application.
• If you will not be able to apply you would still like to be informed about this work. 

Breaking down myths about religion and identities of LGBTI people

#GayVsGod

“It’s a matter of Gay vs God.” How many times have you heard statements like this during discussions on religion and LGBTI issues? Or seen similar comments on your social media feed?

From 4 – 8 April, ILGA-Europe will be taking a look at why so many myths have been built up around this discussion. We want to break down the stereotypes around religion, belief, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Through a series of videos, personal testimonies and real life examples, our Gay vs God? campaign wants to affirm that it is not, and should never be, about ‘choosing a side’. Advocating for LGBTI equality is never about advocating against a religion or a belief.

On the contrary, we want to celebrate the fact that identifying as LGBTI and being part of a faith community are not mutually exclusive. Both are deeply personal and important parts of your identity.

We also want to open up the conversation by examining the common equality goals that both communities of activists share. We all have a lot in common – whether it’s personal incidents such as coming out to family and friends, facing harassment or discrimination at work or even having practical difficulties organising public events as an activist. We all have a lot of experience we can share with each other.

For five days, we will look at some of the most common myths and deconstruct them, hearing the voices of LGBTI activists, religious communities and LGBTI people of faith.

Many of our Gay vs God? video contributions were recorded in Brussels at the 2015 Equality for All conference, a two-day event organised jointly by ILGA-Europe and our friends at ENORB. You can read more about the event here.

We don’t want this to be a taboo subject. We want to hear your stories, your suggestions for more cooperation, your tips on how to advance equality for all. Whatever social media platform you use, we want you to get involved. Join us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Vimeo – or send us an email!

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Practical steps

• What is Silver Rainbow?

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the specific needs of older LGBTI persons and to share the best resources on the topic. 

• How you can support Silver Rainbow:

We will be sharing videos, an animation, an infographic and lots of resources (from members and partners) on our website, through Facebook and via Twitter.

We would love you to get involved by sharing our posts, commenting on Facebook or chatting to us on Twitter using the hashtag #SilverRainbow

Fighting back against exclusion and invisibility – older people in the LGBTI movement:

Let older LGBTI people live healthy lives

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Long term care

Let older LGBTI people enjoy long term care with dignity

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UN International Day of Older Persons 2015 

Let older LGBTI people shine

This paper was commissioned by ILGA-Europe, to examine how the right to freedom of religion or belief intersects with other human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and to be protected from discrimination and hate speech.

The paper examines in particular the tension between religious freedom and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, which is a matter of controversy in both legal and political discourse in Europe and elsewhere.

In particular, some Christian organisations and commentators have portrayed anti-discrimination law as conflicting directly with the right to freedom of religion or belief. Such arguments are increasingly couched in terms of the asserted ‘right’ of religious individuals conscientiously to opt out of providing goods or services to same-sex couples or to express views that might be considered by others to be homophobic or transphobic. This discourse has gone so far as to characterise the scope and application of equality law as a form of religious persecution.

The aim of this paper is to assist ILGA-Europe and other interested parties to respond to such arguments in a manner which is consistent with the standards and principles enshrined in both human rights and equality law, as articulated in the European Convention on Human Rights, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and relevant United Nations treaties and declarations, and authoritative interpretations of these instruments by the relevant courts and treaty bodies.

This report is the final outcome of the Age Project in which the findings – in particular the outcomes of the two round tables and therefore the contributions made by participants – are presented.

Thus, the goal of this report is not to make concrete policy recommendations but instead to depict where we currently stand, which issues need to be addressed and how these issues may be best tackled. As with all projects which shed light on the need for further research, a secondary, but nevertheless important goal of this report is to stimulate thought with regard to continuing the work that has begun.