3 April 2017 – A new association has emerged in Montenegro focusing on trans, intersex and gender variant (TIGV) persons. Born initially as an independent group within LGBTI association Queer Montenegro, the new association, called “Spectra” is now fully functional.
Trans activists were working and volunteering for several years with the “Transovci” group within Queer Montenegro. In that capacity the group was providing services, psycho-social and legal help to trans people while raising public and institutional awareness. More recently the group hosted the regional event “Transposium IV” in cooperation with Trans Network Balkan and Trans Aid. The event brought together to Podgorica more than 60 TIGV people from the Western Balkans region.
In its statement released on March 31st – which marks the International Trans Visibility Day – the organization says that “the idea for the founding of Spectra came from the need for an active involvement of TIGV persons for their human rights, as well as their direct contribution to promotion of quality of life of TIGV persons, on national, as well as regional and international levels.”
“Our first activities were started by the street action called “Gender is a spectrum of colors”, which has a goal of raising visibility and awareness about TIGV persons, and starting a discussion about the concept of gender, through a series of educational and informational messages distributed in the capital of Montenegro – Podgorica. “
“Spectra” is founded with the vision of creating a society in which every person has and equal treatment and human rights, in which all of our identities and bodies are respected, and all of our differences celebrated.
Main goals of the organization are protection and promotion of human rights of transgender, intersex and gender variant persons, capacity building of TIGV community, raising visibility of TIGV persons in public space, raising awareness about TIGV topics, education about gender, gender and sex identity, body characteristics and body integrity, providing services of pro bono psychosocial, legal and peer to peer support to TIGV persons, organizing cultural events which have a goal of starting a discussion about gender and sex, as well as other manifestations.
Founding of the organization “Spectra” is a result of years of work of Queer Montenegro and trans led activist group of Montenegro “Transovci”, as well as regional organization “Trans Network Balkan”, with all of our efforts and energy focused on empowering of TIGV community, building our capacities for activist involvement and motivating our members for active involvement in all the processes concerning our human rights, in the way which is direct, independent and highly visible.
Source: http://www.queermontenegro.org/novosti/saopstenja/251-osnovana-asocijaci…