Second European Transgender Council

Then, 2nd EuropeanTransgender Council transforms into 1st global conference of transgender activists under a main pourpose `Make Human Rights Work´.

Some of the assitants were: Transvisie (Holand), Transman.nl (Holand), Unison (England), Scottish Transgender Alliance (England), Caritig (France), Transinterqueer eV (Germany), Transgender Network Berlín(TGNB), TransInterQueer (TIQB), Wigstockel-Transgender United TIA M, Press for Change, ILGA’s Trans Secretariat, ILGA Europe, Trans-Danmark, Inbetween- Alemania, Gruppo Luna de Turin, Belong to youth Project, Transgender Equality Network Ireland, Abqueer e V, Global Alliance for LGBT Education, Trans Support Ireland, Fund Transgender Moskow, Foundation Agnodice aLusanne, Labrys Kyrkyzstan, Noodles, Amsterdam, CGIL Rome, MIT Bologne, TENI Ireland, and others.

Many institution support this conference: Social Security and Work Department, Center against Discrimination, Gays and Lesbian Matters Ofice, Berlin Senate; Distric of Schoeneberg Templehog; Deutscher Paritatischer Wohlfahrtsverband; ILGA Europe and Global Fund for Women.

The conference development in Schöneberg Town Hall, in the great John F. Kennedy Platz Building. Open de session Justus Eisfeld (Chairperson TGEU), Greetin of Mayor Ekkehard Band (Berlin-Schöneberg), Greeting of Dr. Heidi Knake-Werner (Berlin Senator for Integration, Labour and Social Issues).

In the first session Stephen Whittle present the book Transgender Euro Study: Legal Survey and Focus on the Transgender Experience of Health Care (01). The Study shows that transgender people continue to face massive violations of their human rights in most European states. These include for example the legal requirement that surgery to alter primary and secondary sexual characteristics, which of necessity also includes compulsory sterilisation, must be carried out before a person has the legal right to change the forename in five EU States. In 9 EU States these surgeries are preconditions for changing the legal sex. Second session in the morning was about human rights under the title “Make Human Rights Work!”. There were Dennis van der Veur, Nicolas Beger, Michael Cashman, and Julia Ehrt. In the afternoon was development several workshops. At the end of the day were presented all groups and projects. At night everybody made part of an art exhibition.

Next day, May 3th, start with a debate about Transgender Movement in the World. There were Belissa Andía Pérez, ILGA Trans Secretariat; Silvan Agius, ILGA-Europe, Justus Eisfeld, President of TGEU. Each one talk about their experiences in their regions. Last day was the General Session and conference was finished with the words of Stephen Whittle as the chairman of the new elected executive committee with Julia Ehrt, Jane Thomas and Karin Astrup, assisted by the Steering Committee integrated by Richard Köhler, Philippa James, Rosanna Viano, Carla LaGata and Pia Nielsen.

This conference was an important opportunity to join activist from all over the world and discuse about advocay in legal matters and situations in each country. As a new strategy TGEU will make some alliances. In the coming years, activists working under the flag of the international NGO Transgender Europe (TGEU) will intensify their existing campaign against the violation of human rights of transgender people. To do so, TGEU will strengthen its cooperation with ILGA Europe, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, ILGA World (Trans Secretariat) and Amnesty International. The Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law in Relation to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity´, ratified in 2006 are important instruments for this political work.

Despite much scientific controversy, forms of transgender continue to be listed in the DSM IV of the American Psychological Association (APA), just as homosexuality once was, and in the ICD-10 of the World Health Organization (WHO) as psychological disorders. DSM and ICD are guideline manuals used in healthcare to standardise the definitions of what constitutes mental illness. Transgender Europe (TGEU) emphatically refuses this pathologisation and will assist the next reformulation of the DSM in a critical manner, when this is carried out in 2011.(02)

In the conference all were agree about necessity of investigations, studies and researches about Tran’s population. Not only from scientific but also from the population themselves. The `Transgender Europe Research Network´ is to serve the purpose of bringing together scientists and scholars whether transgender or not, who are working on the subject of transgender into an international network, and to continue to research the living conditions of transgender people worldwide. A `Transgender Europe International Media Network´ will link journalists internationally and perform public relations work.

The most important was common consensus and the international bones. It is still a challenge organize actions against discrimination.

http://www.tgeu.org/council2008/

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(01) Could see in this Bulletin and extense resume.
(02) We start a campaign about this matter. See it here.