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Vienna takes measures to improve the situation of trans people
TGEU presented inputs at a public talk and participates in media conference
Executive City Councillor Sandra Frauenberger together with Jennifer Kickert, Member of the Vienna City Council and the Provincial Parliament, expressed their strong support for trans people at a press conference on 14th February 2013.
Councillor Frauenberger, in charge of anti-discrimination and equal opportunities, said that they had checked all relevant spheres within the City’s administration for improvements to make Vienna a city of equality for trans people. The two politicians explained measures already taken, such as simplifying the change of one’s legal name, and upcoming ones like an anti-discrimination training for public officials. They stressed as well the City’s call towards the Austrian state for a new approach on the legal regulation of change of name and legal gender, taking into account that being trans is not a mental illness. In the future, individuals should no longer need a pathological diagnosis in order to be able to change their civil status. Everyone should have the right to free choice of first name and legal gender identity.
Transgender Europe’s Executive Board member Alecs Recher thanked the Councillor and her colleagues for the efforts the City of Vienna is taking not only in favor of but also together with the trans community. He presented the Argentinian Law on Gender Identity as the most up-to-date role model for regulating legal gender recognition. He emphasized that this is the only already existing law which is in line with the stand on trans people Councillor Frauenberger took in her speech.
Jo Schedlbauer, representative of the Vienna Anti-Discrimination Unit for Lesbian, Gay and Transgender People and one of TGEU’s founders, presented the new brochure “Trans*identities”, a source of information on the topic for Austrian trans people, as well as for anyone in (potential) contact with them, including public officials.
See more on the work of the City of Vienna on trans issues:
http://www.wien.gv.at/english/living-working/transgender.html
More information on the launch of the brochure:
http://www.wieninternational.at/en/aktuell/enhancing-diversity-in-vienna-en
picture: Executive city councillor Sandra Frauenberger, council member Jennifer Kickert, Alecs Recher (Transgender Europe) and Jo Schedlbauer (WASt) presented the brochure “Trans*Identities” at the press conference
©: Alexandra Kromus / PID
Order the brochure “Trans*identities” by email or phone: wast@gif.wien.gv.at T +43 1 4000 81449