WELCOME TO NRW’S GENDER DIVERSITY & TRANS NETWORK!

NRW’s Gender Diversity & Trans Network (NGVT* NRW, by its German acronym) is a state-wide association that connects the different local and regional trans groups and structures in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The member groups of NGVT* NRW include volunteer-run trans support groups, transactivist groups and projects, as well as counselling services that deal with the needs and concerns of trans people in North Rhine-Westphalia. Among others, NGVT* NRW-members enable conversations between trans individuals, create spaces for mutual empowerment, offer individual counselling, support and assist trans people on their journeys, refer them to specialized services, prepare publications for trans people, and raise awareness among society as a whole.

Many different people are engaged in the member groups of NGVT*. What they share is the understanding that the term ‘trans’ or a similar one applies to their present or to their past. Member groups represent a wide spectrum of different genders and ways to express them and live them, including trans men and women who define themselves within the gender binary, as well as non-binary people who, for instance, describe their gender as “both” or “neither”. The NGVT* NRW network reflects this gender diversity within its structures and works to increase its visibility and social acceptance.

NGVT* NRW brings together the competences of its different member groups and promotes a synergic exchange and collaboration between them. The Network also supports the local groups in their public relations. Trans people, their relatives, institutions, and professionals are invited to address NGVT* NRW with their trans-related questions and requests. When appropriate, these are then forwarded to the local groups. The Network’s spokespeople are the members of the board, which are elected in a general meeting. The board collects the needs and requests of the member groups and acts as their representative.

The Network collaborates closely with NRW’s Office for Trans Matters (Landeskoordination Trans* NRW), which supports it in its work.

Additionally, NGVT* NRW cooperates with other representatives of the LGBTIQ+ communities, welfare organizations and many other professional and volunteer-run structures. It also works with political authorities, health professionals and public institutions.