Join the HIV Awareness Week in Berlin to establish the Emergency Support Network
We are organising two free-of-charge parallel training programmes for queer and trans people that will come together on Friday, 20 November, to establish the Emergency Support Network.
This network should help people navigate services, identify realistic pathways to HIV prevention and care, and receive support without having to navigate complex systems alone. We also want to recognise that Ballroom houses, queer and trans collectives, and migrant communities already provide essential care infrastructure. We intend to strengthen these existing relationships, rather than create a parallel system disconnected from the communities themselves.
The initiative is particularly focused on two target audience groups:
- Queer and trans people living with HIV who face barriers to accessing healthcare, especially those without health insurance, appropriate documentation, or access to HIV treatment and other essential services.
- Queer and trans people on the move, including migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented people, who face difficulties accessing healthcare, HIV prevention, testing, PrEP, PEP and treatment.
Community HIV Training — 16, 18 and 20 November
This programme is intended for queer and trans adults, particularly queer and trans youth aged 18 and over, migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented people and other people on the move.
It is especially relevant to queer and trans people who are living with HIV and face difficulties accessing treatment or healthcare, as well as those who need access to HIV prevention, testing, PrEP, PEP and other sexual health services.
The sessions will be interactive and community-led, covering HIV prevention and care, PrEP, PEP, testing, treatment, U=U, sexual health, pleasure, harm reduction and navigating healthcare systems.
An important feature is that registration for this programme is anonymous. Participants are not asked to provide their names, email addresses or HIV status. Anyone who wants to receive practical information or reminders can voluntarily register their email address through a separate form, which is not linked to their anonymous demographic responses.
This distinction is particularly important for people who may be reluctant to engage with services or activities because of concerns about confidentiality, stigma or their migration status.
Health Champions Training — 17, 19 and 20 November
This programme is designed for trans and queer community leaders, particularly people involved in Ballroom houses, collectives and grassroots networks.
The training follows a train-the-trainer approach and will cover HIV, STIs and other infectious diseases prevention, treatment and sexual and reproductive health knowledge, and other topics like U=U, harm reduction, structural barriers to healthcare, peer education and safe healthcare navigation.
Participants will work through practical exercises such as community mapping, HIV knowledge games, real-life scenarios, role-play and referral mapping. The objective is to equip them to become trusted points of connection between their communities and healthcare services, while recognising that Health Champions are not expected to act as clinicians, legal experts or crisis responders.
On the final day, Health Champions will meet healthcare professionals, service providers and participants from the other training programme to help establish practical referral pathways and community-based support structures.
Building the Emergency Support Network — 20 November
On Friday, participants from both programmes will come together with healthcare professionals, community organisations and service providers.
The aim is to establish direct connections between people who need support, trusted community leaders and organisations capable of providing services. Participants will learn what support is available, who can access it, what barriers remain and how to make safe referrals.
The week will culminate in Under the Jellicle Moon Kiki Ball on Saturday, 21 November, celebrating Ballroom culture, community leadership and the relationships developed throughout the initiative.
Note: All workshop participants must be 18 or older and attend all three days of their respective training. Snacks and dinner will be provided each day.
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