At the European GBQMSM Networking Meeting 2025, community members came together for a day of shared learning and exchange!
The morning session feature presentations by GBQMSM community members, who shared their professional and personal experiences on topics of engaging with policy, decriminalization of sex work, and navigating transitioning. In the afternoon, we split into groups and talked about the ways we can support each other in times of uncertainty by sharing tools, skills, and resources as well as showing solidarity with each other, especially the most vulnerable among us.
Coming soon:
Feel free to reach out to Ismar and Johannes!
The meeting was moderated by Madi Awadalla, writer, filmmaker, and long-time sexual and mental health practitioner working with marginalised communities in Egypt and Germany. Their work spans documentary film, historical research, as well as community advocacy, education, and outreach, shaping critical interventions that challenge exclusionary health infrastructures. Their award-winning debut film, Queer Exile, has been showcased at esteemed film festivals worldwide. From designing curricula and community-led initiatives, to reimagining the language and delivery of public health, Madi’s work insists on approaches that are not only accessible but also politically and culturally attuned to the communities they serve.
The European GBQMSM Networking Meeting is implemented in cooperation with Deutsche Aidshilfe.
Navigating Political and Institutional Landscapers
How can communities meaningfully engage in public health policy? In a fireside chat, Justin will talk with you about his experience of navigating the political and institutional landscapes: from working on the first trans co-produced federal health resource for young people and co-founding the UK national LGBT health summit, to contributing to the inclusion of sexual orientation in the national census and the federal health information standard. He will share his reflections and tips to having impact and keeping positive even in difficult times.
Dr Justin Varney-Bennett is a physician, public servant, and advocate for LGBT health equality and social justice, working as Regional Director of Public Health for the South West Region of England (Department of Health and Social Care & NHS England). He has worked in the area of public health on local, regional, national, and international levels, holding a wide range of roles from Thinker in Residence at the University of Sydney to Director Public Health for the City of Birmingham. Justin has published research and literature on LGBT inequalities, domestic violence prevention, homelessness, food systems, and physical inactivity. He worked as an independent advisor on LGBT issues and chaired the Gay and Lesbian Association of Doctors and Dentists. He contributed to international conferences and events on LGBT health and authored a series of national reports on LGBT health inequalities.
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Decriminalisation of Sex Work in Belgium: Fact-checking, Implementation, and Impact on GBQMSM Sex Workers
Belgium decriminalised sex work in 2022, offering a new paradigm and perspective for sex workers. In 2024, the Belgian legal framework went further by allowing specific work contracts for sex workers, aiming to offer access to pregnancy leave, health insurance, and better working conditions in general. While the objective of improving the lives of sex workers is legitimate, questions remain regarding the implementation of this framework, particularly for the most marginalised sex workers. In this session, we will first explore “decriminalisation” in the Belgian context through a legal lens and its impact on European policy. We will then analyse its implementation and impact on lives of sex workers, particularly GBQMSM.
Stéphane Boyer has been a human rights activist since 2009, initially focusing on harm reduction among drug users and people living with HIV. Focusing on sex work since 2014, he created the first sex worker-led organisation in Belgium (UTSOPI) and played a major role in the decriminalisation of sex work in the country. Currently a Bachelor of Law student, Boyer works on community-led projects as well as a human rights consultant and creative writer on issues affecting sex workers.
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Navigating Transitioning in Sex Work & Beyond
The transmasculine journey offers unique (and sometimes shocking!) insights into the gender dynamics, hierarchies of desirability, and the differences between various groups within the queer community. Yet, the transmasc voices remain under-represented and unheard. While the world obsessively fetishises and demonises our transfeminine sisters, trans men often face the opposite problems: invisibility, lack of interest, dismissal. As it often happens, these issues are at their most visible in the context of sex work. The session will cover common challenges faced by transmasculine people, as well as practical tips on how to make both commercial and private setups more respectful and inclusive.
Wszebor Sienkiewicz is a multimedia artist and creative activist, currently mostly active in sex workers' rights. As a trans man originally from Poland, he experienced a lot of gender-based discrimination and violence, as well as xenophobia after migrating to Germany. He speaks up about these issues through advocacy and art, and works as a full time activist at the European Sex Workers' Rights Alliance as well as The Sex Workers' Advocacy Network.
