Against all odds, LBTIQ women are leading movements across Asia against patriarchy and other systems of oppression.
For Women’s Month, five of them told us what must be done advance LBTIQ women’s rights as part of our broader struggle for gender equality.
Here’s what they told us:
Accept and celebrate LBTIQ women
Grace Banu, India’s first openly trans engineer, is the founder of Trans Rights Now Collective. Her organisation also delves into arts and culture, having recently founded ‘Queer Publishing House’, which sold queer Asian literature for the first time at the Chennai International Book Fair.
“Acceptance and celebration is an important mark in my personal journey as a trans woman. It is important that my community is accepted in all spheres, after having to fight for survival.
Economic rights, political participation and social acceptance of communities of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities are important to be brought to the mainstream.”
Advance LBTIQ women’s leadership
Reneh is a transgender woman refugee and women’s rights defender from Syria living in Lebanon. She runs a group called She Can that focuses on capacity building and advocacy and promotes transgender equality through her art.
“Strengthening begins with support, capacity development, mobilisation of energies, and development of cadres that can train LGBTIQ women in community leadership. Unfortunately, there is no belief in our capabilities in Lebanon and Syria. Most associations and groups do not give importance to our scientific and professional dreams and aspirations. Therefore, there must be planning by groups of women themselves for leadership and enhancing the societal status of women.”
Promote feminist solidarity
Best is the founder of Young Pride Club and ILGA Asia’s Youth Representative and Co-Chair of our Executive Board.
After being denied the right to dress in a way that expressed her true self at her graduation ceremony, Best founded Young Pride Club to advocate for gender equality and inclusive language to describe transgender women in universities and now continues to be a platform for Thai youth to fight for their rights.
“The existence of transgender women is not why women have failed. The strength of transgender women has not caused women to be weak. For all women, we deserve to be ourselves and embrace each other. For transgender people, you do not need to worry about your existence and what people would think of you. Because Trans Women are women. Trans women’s rights are human rights. We all belong here. Our growth is the reason why we all feel empowered.
Struggle for economic justice
Reyna Valmores is a full-time community organiser and the chairwoman of Bahaghari, a national democratic alliance of LGBTIQ groups in the Philippines. Among other things, she has been working with Gabriela Women’s Party to advance LGBTIQ rights through legislation.
Practising collective action and solidarity, Reyna and Bahaghari work alongside workers, peasants, indigenous peoples, students and other progressive groups.
“It is needed now, more than ever, for women and LGBTIQ persons to collectivise and fight for dignified work and living wages that can be enjoyed by all regardless of gender, for proactive policies to protect each Filipino against gender-based discrimination and violence, and for social services, particularly for women and LGBTIQ Filipinos.”
Fight for meaningful reforms
Joyce Teng (鄧筑媛) is the Executive Director of Taiwan Equality Campaign, an organisation focused on achieving equal rights for Taiwanese LGBTIQ people.
Taiwan Equality Campaign changed its name from “Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan” in 2020 after successfully advocating to legalise same-sex marriage in Taiwan, making it the first state in Asia to achieve this milestone. However, the fight for equality and equity has only just begun.
“LBTIQ Women’s Rights are Human Rights. As a woman, a lesbian, we fight all together for a better, more friendly future.”
After same-sex marriage, the community in Taiwan is taking on their next challenges. In 2021, the first transgender person was allowed to change their gender identity without proof of surgery. In 2022, the first same-sex couple became the first in Taiwan to legally adopt a child. Taiwan continues to lead the path forward on human rights in East Asia as the world watches excitedly.
