Joint statement: We call on Türkiye to end the targeting of trans people and sex workers

Trans women and trans sex workers are being arrested, prosecuted…

On 9-10 September in Ljubljana, Slovenia, 27 trans activists from Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) and international stakeholders came together to ask one question: how do we protect trans people in a region where democracy and human rights are deteriorating?

We are organising two parallel training programmes for queer and trans people that will come together on Friday, 20 November, to establish the Emergency Support Network.

We are delighted to introduce the inspiring Trans Leaders Academy Cohort 2026–27. Over the coming year, the 16 leaders will take part in virtual and in-person trainings and peer exchange sessions.

TGEU welcomes the decision of the Hungarian National Assembly on 13 October, 2026 to remove the anti-LGBTI content from the 2021 ‘child protection’ law. This is a necessary step to implement the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) judgment in Commission v Hungary (C-769/22).

More than two months after tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, many remain in precarious conditions, with inadequate access to shelter, essential services and international protection. Among them are trans asylum applicants who have fled persecution, only to face further violence, insecurity and the threat of being returned to danger. Their situation is part of a wider humanitarian crisis affecting people on the move in Ceuta, all of whom deserve safety, dignity and access to protection.

This guide provides a basic overview of EU directives in which trans people are protected from discrimination, including through the explicit inclusion of the grounds of ‘gender reassignment’, ‘gender identity’, or ‘gender expression’. As such, it helps trans people to better understand and claim their fundamental rights. It also helps legal professionals, equality bodies, and policymakers to understand their legal obligations to ensure equal protection.

Anti-trans misinformation is increasingly shaping public debates about trans rights across Europe. How do these narratives emerge, how do they travel across borders and platforms, and how can we respond effectively? Join TGEU and the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) for a practical exchange between trans and LGBT organisations and fact-checkers from across Europe.

Since 12 September 2026, Turkish authorities have intensified a nationwide crackdown on LGBTI people, organisations and human rights defenders. At least 117 people have reportedly been detained, with at least 83 held in pre-trial detention.

As part of our Peer Networking Zone (PeerNetz), TGEU is hosting a meeting to explore healthcare designed by and for trans people, rooted in community knowledge and care. We’ll be joined by Trans Healthcare Action, the organisation behind Kindred, Ireland’s first peer-led trans health clinic.

TGEU served on the Expert Advisory Group for the publication Advancing SOGIE Rights in Detention: Promising Practices, a new guidance note published by the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT).

Selected participants will meet policymakers from the European Parliament and the European Commission. The programme includes one full day and approximately half a day of institutional meetings.