How Estonian Bureaucracy Obstructs Gender Transition
Estonia prides itself on being a digital state built on efficiency and equal access. Yet for many trans people, accessing gender-affirming healthcare still means navigating bureaucracy and convincing a panel of experts that their identity is legitimate, as Sascha Lumi learned when beginning her legal and medical transitioning.
To Be Held: Notes from a Trans Foreigner in Estonia
A journey from anti-trans hostility in the US to safety, solidarity, and healing in Estonia’s queer and trans community.
Recognition to regression: protecting transgender rights ended in striking down self-perceived gender identity and its expression in Pakistan
Pakistani human rights activist Uzma Yakoob writes about the biggest victories and losses of the Pakistani trans community over the past decade.
Organisers of LGBTQ+ film festival in Russia: “We were a little naïve about the backlash that was going to happen!”
Estonian Rainbow Heroes of Culture, Gulya Sultanova and Manny de Guerre, who ran the LGBTQ+ film festival Side by Side in Russia, compare working in an atmosphere of bomb threats, intimidation and self-censorship to working to promote human rights in Russia in Estonia, where they run Q-Space, LGBTQ+ cultural program mainly aimed at the Russian-speaking community.
Bahraini women are not expected to do housework but have fewer other rights
How are women and minorities faring in a tiny Gulf state ruled by a conservative, patriarchal, Islam-influenced monarchy?
The analysis of Syrian uprising is still missing a fundamental element: the grassroots level
Do experts have a sufficiently comprehensive knowledge of the Syrian revolution or is there something important that is missing from the overall discussion?
Humanitarian Aws Jubair: Attacks against LGBTQ+ people have increased in Turkey
Aws Jubair, a refugee and LGBTQ+ activist, talks about the work of the Aman Project, which assists LGBTQ+ refugees in Turkey.
Uzma Yakoob: Pakistani feminism is secular, diverse and inclusive
How are women and minorities affected by militarism, patriarchy, unstable neighbouring countries and Islam in Pakistan? Hille Hanso interviewed Uzma Yakoob.
Do wars have a sexual orientation? On the Russian invasion, LGBTQ rights and civil society resistance in Ukraine
War often perpetuates traditional norms and stereotypes. What is the current situation in Ukraine for those who do not fit in?
A non-transparent system and assessment specialists, i.e. how the Estonian state treats transgender people
Transgender people in Estonia describe their experience with outdated regulation and procedure for gender recognition, the communication problems of a leading specialist and adherence to stereotypes.