Theme: Staying Safe in Troubling Times
Held on 20th of September – 2nd of October, 2022
Held Online
With the COVID-19 pandemic still being with us, and not wanting to put our community’s members’ health at risk, OII Europe decided for the second time to hold the Community Event completely online.
The Public Conference was held on Friday, September 30th, and the Community Event for intersex people and their families, loved ones and support persons was held on Saturday, October 1st and Sunday, October 2nd.
The theme of the 2022 Online Community Event and Conference was “Staying Safe in Troubling Times”.
114 participants registered for the event, and included intersex people, their family members, loved ones and support persons, as well as researchers and allies.
French interpretation and automatic captioning was available throughout all 3 days of the event, and Ukrainian interpretation was available throughout the entire 1-day Public Conference.
The program of the Public Event included the following sessions:
The keynote opening speech of the Public Conference was given by the European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli.
The opening speech was given by our Executive Director Dan Christian Ghattas.
“Intersex-phobic Hate Crime & Hate Speech: Data Collection, Prevention & Protection” Panel
Moderated by Irene Amoroso, OII Europe, with speakers:
● Dr Nikoletta Pikramenou and Eleni Pateraki, Intersex Greece
● Math Lecomte, Collectif Intersexe Activiste – OII France
● Miriam van der Have, NNID
● Miltos Pavlou, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights
● Tommaso Chiamparino, European Commission
Impact of the War in Ukraine on Intersex People and Rights of Intersex Asylum Seekers Panel
Moderated by Magda Rakita, Co-chair of OII Europe, also: Fundacja Interakcja, Interconnected UK, with speakers:
● Julia Pustovit, Egalite Intersex Ukraine
● Artem Lapov, Intersex activist
● Gorji Marzban, VIMÖ – OII Austria, Queer Base – Support and Help for LGBTIQ+
● Asylum Seeker in Austria, ORQOA – Oriental Queer Organisation Austria
The program of the Community Event included multiple capacity building sessions, informal hangouts and conversations, and other sessions, both for intersex people as well as sessions for families and loved ones!
Split into two separate tracks, that were held simultaneously along with a dedicated hangout space, the sessions covered a wide variety of topics, from intersex and sports, campaigning, EU mechanisms, intersex activist exchange and working with the media, to family, ageing, youth and general intersex connecting spaces, a session on drawing intersex comics, newbie sessions, and many others. Community members had an opportunity to contribute to the events program.
According to the feedback OII Europe received following the event via the OII Europe feedback form, attendees reported finding the event helpful, interesting, “an enormous pleasure”, including finding the topics relevant and the space as safe.
Mental health support provided by the AwA_stern awareness team was available throughout the entire 3 days of the event. We are happy to say that we were able to pay the Awareness Team members as well as invited speakers and translators for their work.
