In July 2024, the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN) will take part in the GATE Global Trans Conference, a significant event strategically scheduled before the International AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany. This conference brings together over 150 trans and gender-diverse (TGD) activists and stakeholders from around the world to address the global gaps in trans-specific and trans-inclusive strategies in the fight against HIV, and to confront the increasing global wave of anti-gender and anti-rights opposition. The discussions at this event will lay the groundwork for a multi-year action plan focused on advocacy, capacity-building, and coalition development.
APTN’s participation at the conference will be marked by an important session titled, “South-South Cross-regional Movement Building: Reflecting and Imagining Towards Asia, Pacific, and African Initiatives.” This session will delve into an issue that has long hindered trans movements in the Global South—underrepresentation and the chronic lack of resources. Despite the critical work being done in the Asia-Pacific, African, and other regions of the Global South, a profound power imbalance exists between these movements and their Global North counterparts. The session seeks to shed light on this disparity while offering a pathway forward through cross-regional connections and collaboration.
The emphasis on South-South movement-building is both timely and essential. By fostering solidarity among trans movements across Asia, the Pacific, and Africa, this initiative aims to amplify voices, share strategies, and build collective resilience. The session served as a platform for trans leaders to reflect on the initiatives already in place and to co-create future strategies. These strategies aim to build sustainable, intersectional movements that not only address trans rights but also tackle the broader systems of oppression that contribute to violence, displacement, and marginalization of trans individuals.
Since 2019, APTN has been at the forefront of these efforts, working with partners to document and address the systemic violence faced by trans communities. The organization has led groundbreaking work in compiling community-led evidence on hate crimes, displacement, and violence against trans individuals in the Asia-Pacific region. Through this work, APTN has underscored the importance of intersectional advocacy, linking issues of gender with other forms of identity and marginalization. The session will spotlight this work and explore ways to strengthen South-South alliances, enhancing the capacity for movement-building, leadership, and sustainable advocacy on a regional and global scale.
Ultimately, the conference, and sessions like APTN’s, are critical steps toward reimagining what global trans solidarity can look like. They are a reminder that the future of the trans movement lies not just in addressing the challenges of today but in imagining and building new possibilities for tomorrow—rooted in collective action, cross-regional collaboration, and the shared goal of trans liberation worldwide. APTN looks forward to contributing to this vision and continuing its work to strengthen trans movements across Asia, the Pacific, and beyond.
We are pulling efforts to forge the future of a global trans movement that is more equitable, more inclusive, and more united than ever before.
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