RAISING OUR VOICES: A WORKSHOP ON ADVOCACY FOR PEOPLE WITH LGBTIQA+ AND REFUGEE EXPERIENCES 

This interactive, skills-based half day workshop offers a practical introduction to advocacy for people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and innate variations in sex characteristics (SOGIESC). It welcomes participants with  experience at this set of intersections  as well as allies who are committed to supporting advocacy and systemic change for this cohort. 

 Led by members of STARTTS’ Walk on Walk Strong and Policy teams, the session will open with a welcome from Victor Madrigal-Borloz, former UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, who will speak on the role of advocacy in advancing dignity, inclusion, and rights for LGBTIQA+ people with refugee experiences. He will also join the closing reflection as participants share their plans. 

 The workshop is grounded in an advocacy manual co-designed by people with lived experience of forced displacement and diverse SOGIESC, in collaboration with the Forcibly Displaced People Network (FDPN) and STARTTS. The manual combines theory with practical tools for individual and collective action. 

 Participants will learn to identify advocacy goals, map stakeholders, assess risks, and craft compelling narratives. Together, they will explore issues affecting their communities and draft advocacy plans grounded in real-world challenges. Previous topics have included access to gender-affirming healthcare, visa insecurity, and barriers to housing, employment, and wellbeing. 

 The workshop centres lived experience, solidarity and equips participants with practical tools for systemic change.

Workshop run time: 3 hours