Steering Committee of TGEU

In my voluntary and professional capacities, I have developed expertise in transgender issues and experiences having served as both Committee Member and Chairperson, and been employed as Co-ordinator with Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI). I have a Masters in Equality Studies, where my research focused on transgender issues, and have authored a number of publications including TENI’s Transphobia in Ireland Report, funded by ILGA-Europe’s Human Rights Violations Documentation Fund. My work in TENI involved supporting the transgender community in all its diversity, focusing on raising awareness, providing support and education, and advocating for equality for all trans* people in Ireland. I am eager to engage in trans* activism at the European level and believe that my skills and knowledge can contribute positively to TGEU as an organisation, supporting its learning and development, and strengthening its impact for trans* people across Europe. As a non-binary trans-identified individual, I am committed to working for social change for all trans* people and feel that my passion, understanding, and experience ensures that I am well positioned to engage with, inform, and complement the work of TGEU.

Wiktor is a 24 years old Ph.D. student at the Institute of Applied Social Sciences at Warsaw University and also Vice-President of Trans-Fuzja Foundation – so far the only organization in Poland that focuses mainly on transgender issues.

Maria Sundin is 63 years old and presently a member of the board of RFSL, the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights where she serves on the LGBT Health committee and heads the RFSL Work Group for Legal reform of trans* legislation, depatholgisation and reform of trans* care. She is also serving as a member of the board of the trans* orgaanistion KIM (Gender, Identity, Diversity) and she was chairning the Local organizing Committee for the 3rd European Transgender Council in Malmo 2010.

Maria has been involved in trans rights issues since the mid 1990-ies and served on the boards of a number of trans* organisations in Sweden during the years. She har alos been engaged in working with building support and counselling groups for transgender individuals in Sweden.

Professionally Maria is a Social Worker and councellor and worked in this field for the past 30 years until she retired in 2009. She is also a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and serve of it’s Membership Committee. Maria took part in WPATH:s bienal Symposium in Oslo 2009 whenre she also served on the Scientific Sub-Committee for Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy.

Pia Nielsen 51 years of age is a member of the present Steering Committee. She is a Danish citizen living in Germany. She is running for a new period in the Steering Committee of TGEU.

She has got many years of experience within working as a transactivist. Her special interests lie within equal rights for transpeople at the working place and human rights as such. She is the coauthor of the first handbook in Danish on all matters relating to being a transperson.

Privately she has started a company doing Project Management of High-Tech projects worldwide in cooperation with Karin Astrup.

She has been working on developing a new strategy for TGEU, she is heading the process of changing the Statutes of TGEU and she has implemented new budgeting procedures.

I have been an international trans activist and researcher for more than 10 years. I participated in the first TGEU Council in Vienna, was part of TGEU’s first international campaign „Justice for Gisberta“ and part of the organizational team of the second Council in Berlin, where I was elected a member of the Steering Committee. Combining my areas of responsibility within TGEU (international relations, research, hate crimes), I initiated TGEU’s Trans Murder Monitoring project, and with the strong support/help of other TGEU activists developed this project into TGEU’s „Transrespect versus Transphobia Worldwide“ research project. Due to persistence and a great deal of voluntary work, the project is now financed by three international funders, making it TGEU’s biggest project for the coming years and improving TGEU’s position to attract funding for its organizational development.

Being into networking and a team player, I made empowering experiences within TGEU over the last two years. I would be very happy to gain the opportunity of continuing my work for TGEU within the SC.