Report of Second Trans Pre Conference. November 3, 2008, Vienna
At the beginning each assistant, masculine and feminine trans, present their self, also some people that were not trans and ask permission to participate. Welcome speech was said by the delegate of Trans Secretariat, explain to the audience our interest to include all diversities, specially intersex identity, that in this occasion couldn’t be part of the Pre Conference.
For this Conference wasn’t easy identify trans and intersex population in order to call them to the activities of the Trans Secretariat. Usually trans people is not visible and many times they prefer to assume another identity avoiding be discriminated in order of their gender identity. Another difficult situation was that a masculine intersex activist that was interested in be part of the Pre Conference couldn’t assist because is from United States and the impart of the scholarship don’t include population from this country. We are sure his presence could be very important for the Conference.
The first panel was “What about the Trans movement in different latitudes?: The activists take the word and express their experiences and knowledge in behalf the Trans community about Human Rights”. Joey Mataele was the moderator and participant were Gaby Mariño (Peru), Debora Lambillotte (Germany) and Gina Jian (China). In this panel was also Chan Mugamba, but he had a delay in her plain and arrived at the end of the panel. Victor Mukasa that came of the same region as Chan, was ask to replace him in the panel.
The panel has a feminine majority but with the participation of Victor Mukasa at least we had a view of masculine perspective. Masculine trans are less visible than feminine trans because as they assume a masculine role they prefer hidden his identity for don’t be expose to discrimination and rejection. Also this is possible because is much more easier pass by a man having a women’s body than the contrary.
Then becoming “Discussion Panel: We need to talk about important subjects among the LGBTI movement, how is our presence considered, what politic situation we have, and what are the challenges”. Moderator was Belissa Andía and participants Agniva Lahiri (India), Nandyn Solís (Panama), Victor Mukasa (Uganda) and Carla Lagata (Germany). At the beginning Charllotte Schneider from Colombia was part of this discussion panel but her plane had a delay and Nandyn was asked to replace her. In this panel will take place a discussion about many topics that are related with trans movement but for problems of time we only could discuss about Pride March, violence and inclusion of intersex community.
About the Pride March, general opinion was that this is an action that had becoming only a carnival, so it is necessary to open a new critical space inside the movement. On the other hand, about intersex inclusion, not all participants knew about this identity, but they were agree with the integration. For this should be necessary to diffuse inside the trans collective the reality of intersex identity, their problems and needs, in order to understand their inclusion.
Then the discussion was about violence that is part of the life of everybody and means a great limitation to our freedom and development. It was the idea to propose a world day against violence but this couldn’t be discuss because another problem came up that give us the kind of problems that trans people have to suffer in their own countries. Stephanie from Nigeria talk to everybody the difficult situation she was living in her town where she is persecuted by police with the possibility to be in jail, she live in a constant situation of insecurity for the threat against her. This give us the idea that is very important knew about political situation in each country in order to understand the specific situation that live trans population in their day by day reality and tried from ILGA and Trans Secretariat divulgation and actions.
In the afternoon was impart the Identity Workshop. Identity issue is a very important topic in our agenda because is deep implicated with the organization and movement. At the beginning participants denied to share with the others their opinions and thoughts about some questions that intend to invite all to dialogue about sexual identity.
It was a pity that participant had a resistance to share their belief about sexuality because very important to discuss about it. Also was impossible to development a reflection about how identity could integrate all in actions and a fight in common. This experience said us it is necessary to work in the personal level before doing a group discussion in order to understand our differences and integrated them to the movement.
At the end conclusions were an assignment to a commission integrated for assistants from Argentina, Phillipin and Peru, but they couldn’t be finished and are still outstanding.
After Trans Pre Conference assistants was ask to chose an masculine trans activist to be the trans secretariat in provision, and the elected was Skipper Mogapi from LEGABIBO Group from Bostwana.
Auto Critic
The Program of Trans Pre Conference was share with Advisory Committee of the Trans Secretariat to receive their critics and contributions and improve the result but we don’t receive any answer in the time establish and after that was late because it had to be send to the Board. Another problem was that we don’t have the list of participant until very late, so we couldn’t invite trans community to be part of the Pre Conference. This situation was aggravate with the impart of scholarships that was decided few weeks before the Conference. Trans Pre Conference is one of the few occasions we have to share our opinions and it is necessary to take advantage of it because then is difficult to talk about crucial topics in a virtual way.
A critic problem was that trans assistant were name by their legal names an not by their social names. Usually the legal name is ask for the inscription and scholarship application in order to later help them with the visa. But it is urgent that form include the social name because the identity is what trans people are fighting for and should be respect. It also means a real will to include trans in the main conception of ILGA.
One day becoming a short time to discuss and to put things in clarity. Many topics are outstanding and we could consider al least two days of Pre Conference specially in order to get stronger the trans movement inside ILGA.
Challenges and proposals
From the development of Second Trans Pre Conference we are clarify some issues that consider necessary to a plain inclusion of trans identity of trans community in ILGA. We present them as a proposal to dialogue about it and be part of our commitment in this new period in the Trans Secretariat of ILGA.
- Scholarships: We think is necessary to have an specific number of scholarship that guarantee trans participation and also that we could be part of the election group in order to get a balance in the decision. It is also crucial for the development of Trans Pre Conference.
- Trans Identity: It is a topic outstanding the real inclusion of Trans and Intersex in ILGA. Many activist think ILGA, even in the name, don’t represent them as they are invisible in the name that only recognize gays and lesbian as the main population. That is way the change in the name and statements is still an assignment to discuss.
- Intersex collective: It is necessary integrate intersex population in ILGA and guarantee a minimum participation of them. This implies a divulgation activities inside and outside collective and also strategic alliance with those intersex interested in give their testimony and constructed with us a common agenda.
- Political Reality: Trans collective had to confront different realities of marginalization and their lives in sometimes are in risk of death. It is necessary to share the political situation in order to identify what kind of action is necessary as a community.
- Social Name: Names is a main part of identity, we are fighting for change many legislation in order to the right of name our self as we need and want could be a reality in our countries. So the name is a right that should be recognized in the first place in ILGA as a respect to trans and intersex community.
- One day: It is very common that government institutions assumed demands of minority discriminated groups in one day, in a symbolic day that don’t resolve structural problems that develop the marginalization, as happen with the Pride March, Women’s Day, Day of No violence against women, Mother’s Day, Work’s Day, Day of Fight against AIDS, etc. But this situation is be repeated inside our organizations. Trans problems could be concentrated in only one day, they should be part of the demands and challenge of ILGA as a hole, can’t be apart. It is also necessary that trans community discuss their problems as a group, specially in this moment that community is just constructed but if is not the political intention to include this demands as demands of all we are only repeat what we are questioned to the states and a real inclusion will be impossible.
Belissa Andía Pérez
ILGA Trans Secretariat
-------------------------------------------------------
More information:
Download the reports about trans situation.
