GATE - Global Action for Trans Equality

Meet Pedro Ivo Oliveira, our Health Officer. Pedro Ivo (he/him) is currently living in Switzerland and will return to his home country very soon. Can you guess? 🏳️⚧️ What does advancing trans equality look like in his role? From supporting our Health lead in planning and implementing health-related projects, Pedro Ivo will support the development of health advocacy materials and ensure our trans-led member organizations have what they need, providing them with technical assistance. During his professional pathway, he has contributed significantly to advancing the rights of #keypopulations and #marginalizedcommunities, having worked with UNAIDS, International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) ,World , Harm Reduction International, Outright International and others. Can you guess what they love to do in their spare time? Discover all about Pedro's professional background https://lnkd.in/eqvgwJev

The global movement for trans rights only becomes more and more powerful when each of us takes individual action in solidarity with others. Thank you for being an unbreakable link alongside GATE and our trans-led partners around the world. Please share with your friends and networks, and make a gift today: https://lnkd.in/ek6BUA2K #TransRights, #SocialJustice, #Philanthropy, #Donors

😍 Exciting announcement: Trans Leadership in the global HIV response! 🏳️⚧️ The NGO DELEGATION TO THE UNAIDS PCB has announced the Multistakeholder Task Force (MSTF) for the 2026 United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, and we are proud to announce that Erika Castellanos, GATE Executive Director, was nominated co-chair. Formed through an open and consultative process, the MSTF brings together diverse stakeholders, including #peoplelivingwithHIV, young people, women’s rights organizations, #keypopulations, and partners across sectors such as The Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), Eurasian Women's Network on AIDS, Y+ Global, International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD), Kenya Sex Workers Alliance (KESWA), Global Black Gay Men Connect, Action against AIDS Germany, Gestos - Soropositividade, Comunicação e Gênero and many more. The appointment of Erika Castellanos, a trans woman living with HIV, as Co-Chair of the MSTF is particularly significant. It reflects a shift toward more inclusive leadership, where those most impacted are not only represented but are actively shaping advocacy, political engagement, and global priorities. 👉🏽 Learn more about the Multistakeholder Task Force role and why its work leading up to the UN High-Level meeting is so important: https://lnkd.in/ecBMBx-h 📰Check the announcement here: https://lnkd.in/gwdNNJrf #HIV2026 #GlobalHealth #CommunityLeadership #TransLeadership #HLM2026

What happens when communities are supported to lead? A strong example comes from Panama. Since 2016, Hombres Trans Panamá has been working to improve access to healthcare, employment, and legal recognition for trans and gender diverse communities. In 2025, with GATE's financial and technical support, they made history in submitting the first trans-led report to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review in #Panama. This contributed to: - 24 recommendations addressing LGBTI rights, in which 5 were accepted and 19 noted. - Increased visibility of trans communities in national reporting - Greater accountability in human rights discussions Additionally, it also included concrete references to #legalgenderrecognition processes, including 118 name and sex correction procedures managed by the Electoral Tribunal, as well as reaffirmations of access to public and private health services free from discrimination for LGBTIQ+ persons, people living with #HIV, and sex workers. A sign of resilience is that, despite funding cuts, they continued to deliver impact, which also shows that not only are community-led organizations essential to driving effective, sustainable change, but that funding them can have a significant impact. 🔗Learn more about their work and what the future will look like: https://lnkd.in/emnZ52W8 #Trans #HumanRights #CommunityImpact #Inclusion #GlobalJustice

It's common knowledge that the trans and gender diverse population is disproportionately disadvantaged, due to discrimination and injustice. This results in poverty and poor health and well-being outcomes for trans and gender diverse communities globally. The majority of trans and gender diverse activists and organizations devote an extensive amount of time and effort in their daily schedules and work tasks to the thematic areas captured in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (#SDG). With sufficient knowledge of the SDGs and how this human rights instrument works, the principle “Leave no one behind” can become one of the most powerful advocacy tools trans and gender diverse organizations can use! For that reason, GATE created “The Sustainable Development Goals & Trans Engagement Guide”. 💡 📘 This guide will provide a broad introduction to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with particular focus on #SDG1 (No Poverty), #SDG3 (Good Health and Well-being), and #SDG5 (Gender Equality) and their links to trans and gender diverse populations and advocacy. The guide can benefit individual activists as well as organizations engaged with trans and gender diverse advocacy. Share this guide: - With organizational staff responsible for advocacy and research, and those who attend advocacy meetings, nationally and regionally - With board members before the next annual or strategic planning process - At relevant national and regional meetings, specifically those with advocacy on the agenda 🔗 Download the guide now: https://lnkd.in/eZiVbgSB #NoPoverty #GoodHealthandWellbeing #GenderEquality #SustainableDevelopmentGoals

PrEP and PEP are critical tools, but only if they are accessible and trusted. For trans communities, that means care that is affirming, informed about hormone interactions, and free from stigma. Prevention works when people feel safe enough to use it, not just when it exists. #StrongerTogetherAgainstHIV #NHMAEmpowersPrevention #NationalTransgenderHIVTestingDay

National Transgender HIV Testing Day is about visibility and accountability. Trans people face disproportionate HIV risk because of exclusion, stigma, and systemic barriers. This day pushes for access to testing that is affirming and community-led. Health equity is not possible if trans people are left out. #StrongerTogetherAgainstHIV #NHMAEmpowersPrevention #NationalTransgenderHIVTestingDay

Too often, the barrier is not the test, it is the system. Trans people face stigma, misgendering, and outright discrimination in healthcare settings, along with fear of being exposed or mistreated. Add to that legal barriers, costs, and services not designed with us in mind. When care is not safe or affirming, people stay away. #StrongerTogetherAgainstHIV #NHMAEmpowersPrevention #NationalTransgenderHIVTestingDay

It starts with understanding that trans people are not hard to reach, we have been pushed out. Creating affirming, trauma-informed spaces means rebuilding trust that systems have broken. That looks like respecting names and pronouns without question, ensuring confidentiality, and offering care that is culturally competent and led by or co-designed with trans communities. It also means recognizing the impact of stigma, discrimination, and past harm in healthcare settings, and responding with empathy, not judgment. If people feel safe, seen, and respected, they will come. #StrongerTogetherAgainstHIV #NHMAEmpowersPrevention #NationalTransgenderHIVTestingDay

Join us with National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) to the Linkedin Chat