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Europe’s First Trans Leaders Academy!

Be part of something big!

Join Europe’s first Trans Leaders Academy!

In September 2021, TGEU is launching its Trans Leaders Academy, the first-ever e-learning platform for emerging trans activists in Europe. It aims at supporting, connecting, and elevating a new generation of trans leaders.

The academy will kick off with a series of courses on trans leadership developed by trans experts. Participants will be able to follow, at their own pace, courses in various formats, such as videos, quizzes, and external resources, to strengthen skills and sustainably lead and organise communities.

Programme

Wellbeing and collective care (29 September)

Who designed the course?
Romario Wanliss is creatively known as MrBlackBranson. Romario is a Jamaican StoryTeller living in the UK using life coaching, music, and spoken word to create awareness on mental health, self care, and positivity. Romario has been featured on Channel 4’s GenderQuake and BBC’s Transgender: Back to Jamaica.

What will the course be about?
This course will equip you with strategies to build resilient movements with a ‘soul’ by centring activists’ wellbeing as an essential part of collective organising.

Community organising (6 October)

Who designed this course?
This course is crafted by two seasoned activists, Sacha Ichim and Roxana Marin. Sacha is a trans elder, community builder, and welder since 2013, a fairy godfather of the trans liberation movement in Romania, an artist by heart, activist by mission, educator by passion.  Roxana has been an ally for over 20 years. as a roma woman who has been working with romanian and international human rights organisations since the late 90’s, she came to understand early on that the fight for equality can only be won in tandem. She strongly believes in solidarity, working together, having fun together and crying together. 

What will the course be about?
This course will strengthen your ability to create and share power and knowledge to organise trans communities in an intersectional and sustainable way.

Strength in numbers (20 October)

Who designed this course?
Dinah de Riquet-Bons is a trans lobbyist, HIV and AIDS and sex work activist, as well a former politician for the PvDA-Labor party. In 1991, at the age of 21, she began her life as an activist as a part of Act Up New York’s black and Latino youth group. As Trans United Europe’s co-chair, she is a relentless fighter for the rights of the BPOC-Trans and Sex Work community, PLWH, minorities, and other intersections.

What will the course be about?
This course will strengthen your capacity to build networks with allies and design strategies to capitalise on your networks to navigate and confront oppressive power structures in pushing for your community’s rights.

Strategic communications (27 October)

Who designed this course?
Mina Jack Tolu is a Communications consultant with extensive experience in working with LGBTQI organisations, among other things as a volunteer for  MGRM Malta LGBTQI Rights Movement. Mina is interested in transforming media ethics and working on how we tell our stories and shape our narratives as a trans community. During his free time, he keeps busy, learning how to be an on-skates roller derby referee!

What will the course be about?
This course will equip you with knowledge of the basics to build a communications strategy, and will provide tips and tools to understand the intersections between media ethics and practice, and communicating about trans issues.

What is in it for you?

  • Courses designed by specialised experts who are also trans activists.
  • A network of diverse activists.
  • Tools and resources to help you define your personal leadership purpose, in alignment with the purpose of your organisation (or soon-to-be-created organisation)!
  • Skills to face community challenges, leading teams and projects, and dealing with complexity, while taking care of yourself and your community.
  • A certificate of completion which will be emailed to you upon completion of the programme.
  • A supportive TGEU team!

To join the Trans Leaders Academy you must:

  • Be a member of TGEU
  • … that’s it!

How can you enrol?

Click on the button below to enter the platform and enter the class code you received through TGEU’s membership mailing list. A Gmail account allows for easy access to the platform. However, if you use another email host, you can enter the platform by simply following these instructions. If you need any assistance, reach out to us at anwar@tgeu.org and miles@tgeu.org!

Accessibility

  • All content will be in English.
  • Videos will be captioned in English.

More about TGEU

TGEU is a European-based umbrella organisation supporting, fighting, and advocating for the rights and wellbeing of trans people across Europe and Central Asia. TGEU is committed to intersectional justice and trans rights through advocacy, campaigning, researching, community building, and networking with alliances. The organisation represents more than 170 member organisations in 47 countries.