Trans people are a vital force in digital resistance. They are reshaping what power, care, and beauty look like online. They name violence that others ignore. They make space, and then hold it open for others. But, they’re also under attack.
Through our multilingual survey (which is still open for responses), trans people across Europe and Central Asia have told us what it’s like to be visible online. They speak of being flooded with hate. Some receive death threats for posting about Pride, while others say they had to stop creating altogether. Even a short video of walking down the street can make them a target.
We’re making room for both: the beauty and the brutality, the resistance and the harm.
This event brings together creators, activists, and researchers to talk about what we’ve learned and what we’re still listening for, and to learn from one another as we work toward safer, more just digital spaces for trans communities. Every experience shared through this research becomes evidence that will help shape what we bring to institutions to advocate for better protections.
Join us on June 26 to listen to trans people about their experiences online and reflect on what needs to change. Trans voices deserve more than visibility: they deserve safety, dignity, and space to thrive.
Speakers will include:
India Willoughby (She/Her), Journalist
India Willoughby is a broadcaster and journalist, who became Britain’s first national trans newsreader for Channel 5, and ‘Loose Woman’ for ITV. She’s also appeared on shows such as Celebrity Big Brother. Good Morning Britain, This Morning, First Dates and BBC Question Time. In 2023, she was named as one of the UK’s Women Of The Year. India now devotes most of her time fighting for trans rights.
Gabriel Jakub Kawa (He/They), Content Creator
Gabriel (he/they) is a Polish trans man who began his transition in Poland and has been living in the Netherlands for the past three years, though he’s planning to return soon. He creates educational and humorous content about transmasculinity, often with a touch of self-irony and retro flair. Outside the internet, he writes poetry, raps, trains hybrid-style (running and weightlifting), and builds a space where trans boys can feel less alone.
Taylor Winters (He/Him), Content Creator
Taylor (he/him) is a Romanian-born trans man who began his transition in his mid-30s, after moving to the UK. Growing up in Transylvania with little visibility of trans people, he spent years trying to make sense of who he was, until finding language and community online changed everything. Today, he uses social media to share his story, challenge misinformation, and connect with others navigating similar paths.
Béla Hackenberg (She/Her), Communications Coordinator TGEU
Béla (she/her) works at TGEU as communications coordinator. Outside of TGEU, she produces and hosts a queer-feminist interview podcast that focuses on amplifying the voices of multiply marginalised queer and trans people. Béla is also a freelance political educator, journalist, author, moderator, community organiser & artist for various projects in Berlin and beyond. She has a bachelor’s degree in European Science with a specialisation in Gender & Diversity Studies from Maastricht University and is currently pursuing her masters in Gender, Intersectionality & Politics at Freie Universität Berlin.
Inge Snip (She/Her), Associate Consultant, IJSC
Inge (she/her) is a Dutch feminist journalist, editor, and strategist coordinating research at the Institute for Journalism and Social Change on how trans creators across Europe experience hate online. A cis woman, she has reported on anti-rights movements targeting women and LGBTQI+ people, including at openDemocracy, and supported press freedom initiatives, such as with the Coalition For Women In Journalism. Her work bridges journalism, advocacy, and strategy to challenge systems of power, both online and off.
If you're openly trans and post regularly online, no matter the content of your posts, your voice matters in this work. Our survey is still open, and your experience helps build the evidence to advocate for stronger protections against hate speech online. The survey is available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, and Spanish.
You can take it here: https://linktr.ee/TGEU_IJSC_Surveys