Athens, June 7, 2020
PRESS RELEASE
Subject: «Cooperation with the Council of Europe to support vulnerable trans people due to the consequences of covid-19».
Cooperation with the Council of Europe to support vulnerable trans people due to the consequences of covid-19
The Greek Transgender Support Association (GTSA), is a voluntary non-governmental organization that promotes the rights and freedoms of trans, gender-diverse, and LGBTI persons in general, as well as sex workers, with this press release informs about its cooperation with the Department of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity of the Council of Europe, regarding the financial support of the most vulnerable trans people due to the consequences of covid-19.
In particular, the Greek Transgender Support Association, in cooperation with the Department of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity of the Council of Europe, received funding from which the amount of 6,900.00 euros (six thousand and nine hundred euros) will be allocated, with the aim to support the most vulnerable members of the trans community as soon as possible, whether they have the status of a member of the GTSA or not, in order to face the consequences of covid-19.
Priority will be given to trans people aged 50 and over who are sex workers, then trans people under the age of 50 who are also sex workers and depending on the needs that will be recorded and the number of trans people who will apply for financial support due to the consequences of the pandemic.
Financial support in all cases concerns trans people living in the Attica region and in particular, financial coverage of either part of rent or part of bills (electricity or water) that are pending with priority to those who are at risk of water or power cut, and will be given the same amount on each trans individual. In the next phase, and if is possible, requests will be considered outside the Attica region.
In all cases, it will be necessary to provide a tax clearance that will show the financial weakness of the person, as well as evidence that will ensure it is the rent of the person that resides there, or it is a bill that is in danger of being cutting and belongs to the requested person, while the money will be deposited online by the GTSA to the pending coverage of individual’s rent or bills.
The legal documents and receipts that will be submitted to the Council of Europe will also be issued by the GTSA, as well as this funding will be recorded in the annual financial report that the GTSA publishes every year in the context of transparency in Civil Society.
The trans people who are interested can contact us by phone at 2109210697, daily from Monday to Friday, 09:30 to 16:30, until July 31, 2020, either for clarification or to make an appointment at our office to record their request with providing the necessary information mentioned above. Scheduled meetings will be individual, with at least one hour apart one meeting with the next, while all protection measures for covid-19 will be followed.
We warmly thank the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Department of the Council of Europe, which recognized on time the need to address the consequences of the pandemic on trans people in Council of Europe countries, including our country.
We recognize that the above cannot, of course, meet all the needs of the trans community, which has been severely affected by the effects of covid-19, which should have already been addressed by Greek State through its own solidarity mechanisms, and we hope that the more urgent and strong needs will be covered.
At the same time, the monthly support to trans people who are vulnerable continues through the provision of food by the Bodossaki Foundation in the framework of the fight against poverty, while we express our disappointment that the State did not respond to our request for financial support of all sex workers through the 800 euro allowance that received other employees to deal with the consequences of the pandemic.
The State has long been and remains accountable to sex workers who live in stigma, face discrimination and violence, and because of the unacceptably restrictive framework for sex work – the majority – do not have employment, insurance and other welfare rights.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
GREEK TRANSGENDER SUPPORT ASSOCIATION
79 Sygrou Street, 3rd floor, Athens, 11745
Tel. 210.9210697
Office hours: Monday to Friday
09.00-14.00 & 17.00-20.00
http://tgender.gr – http://www.transgender-association.gr/
contact@tgender.gr – transgender.support.association@gmail.com
Comments are closed.