TGEU The ProTrans project Labrys, a grassroots LGBTIQA organisation, was es- “The main impact of the ProTrans project for Transvanilla is that tablished in Kyrgyzstan in 2004 to protect and promote it has enabled the association to expand its activities to cover a the LGBTIQA community’s rights and freedoms in the broader range of issues, and the tools provided by the project country and Central Asia more broadly. have enabled it to communicate effectively to its constituencies using existing channels.” “ProTrans has helped Labrys build new partnerships at the international level. The Fifth European Transgender Council has Barnabas Hidasi also been extremely fruitful in helping us establish a new group Website: http://www.transvanilla.hu/ in Kazakhstan, Almat-TQ, which Labrys provides with resources Email: szervezet@transvanilla.hu and support”. Sanjar Kurmanov Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Asso- Website: http://www.labrys.kg ciation “Kırmızı Şemsiye” is a sex-worker-led non-gov- Email: ernmental organisation founded in Turkey in 2013, and a kyrgyzlabrys@gmail.com ProTrans Voices Kyrgyzstan: Hungary: “My personal experience is that individual trans “People who are often exposed to danger, especially transgender people’s lack of legal awareness is based not only on people, face constant discrimination even in the process of trying a lack of information, but also on their fear of being to seek redress for discrimination. Victims of verbal or physical defenceless and humiliated. It is therefore important violence are forced to endure psychological violence and humil- that individuals should not act and stand up for their rights on iation from law-enforcement bodies from the moment they file their own. Instead, the organisation should provide support and a report. There is also a high degree of distrust towards govern- assistance (with the assistance of a lawyer or a paralegal per- mental agencies within the communities”. son) in their cases.” Bea Bodrogi, lawyer working with Transvanilla Representative of the LGBTIQ platform of Kyrgyzstan member of the regional networks the International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSE), Transvanilla Transgender Association (TV) was the Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN) in launched in Hungary in 2008 as an informational website for those seeking legal gender recognition and trans-specific healthcare in the country. At first, it was workers. The majority of its members are also sex work- makers have imposed restrictive conditions on the legal an online information portal and community support ers, but the membership also includes allies, including gender-recognition process in the law on registries (namely, the of Kyrgyz Constitution, must publicly condemn the demonstra- group. Beginning in 2010, monthly meetings were held, lawyers, students and activists. divorce requirement and the fact that the change of a parent’s tion of any kind of hatred in society, and withdraw all initiatives name and gender cannot be recorded on the child’s birth certif- that weaken the human rights of any group in society.” “Trans people are second-class citizens because “The introduction of legislative initiatives aimed to Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia and TGEU. there is no legal measure to address the specific le- limit human rights always results in the growth of The board of Kırmızı Şemsiye is composed solely of sex gal issues that affect them. In the past decade, law- aggression and hatred in society. The government of with lectures by experts and thematic discussions, which became the main activity of the community. “The ProTrans project has helped us improve our capacity to icate). At the same time, the established procedure has never Some of those who attended these meetings regularly monitor human-rights violations against trans people in Turkey. been published in any way, and there is a total lack of legislation.” founded the organisation in November 2011 in order Using the tools we have produced within the scope of the project to advocate for transgender people in all walks of life. has enabled us to carry out systematic advocacy and lobbying Krisztina Kolos Orban , Since then, TV has been trying to gather facts it can use while mobilizing the trans community to pursue their rights Monitoring Officer at Transvanilla in its advocacy. Before ProTrans, Transvanilla worked through legal channels.” Kyrgyzstan, as well as its President, who is the guarantor Syinat Sultanalieva, Labrys activist primarily on legal gender recognition and access to healthcare because the requests with which trans peo- Kemal Ördek ple approached it involved these issues. Website: http://www.kirmizisemsiye.org/ Email: + 12 + kirmizisemsiye@kirmizisemsiye.org + 13 +