Hello, I'm Hannah from the Autonomous Women's Shelter in Lübeck. Thank you for the invitation to speak today at the Trans Day of Visibility in Lübeck.

As an employee of the Autonomous Women's Shelter, I primarily deal with the effects of gender-based violence. Statistically speaking, trans\*, non-binary, and intersex people are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence. They are also considered a vulnerable group within the meaning of the convention in the Istanbul Convention, which has been legally valid in Germany since 2018.

Nevertheless, the CDU has refused to include intersex, transgender, or non-binary individuals in the new Violence Assistance Act. The Violence Assistance Act is intended to grant women affected by violence and their children a legal right to protection and counseling starting in 2023. However, the CDU has threatened to prevent its enactment if transgender, intersex, or non-binary individuals are included as persons in need of protection. The reasoning is based on the old and false narrative that, from a biological perspective, men would endanger women's safe spaces.

The Autonomous Women's Shelters explicitly oppose these attempts to pit women's rights and protection against violence against the protection of queer and trans* people.

Our feminist solidarity applies to all those affected by gender-based violence!

For many years now, trans women, cis women, and anyone else who identifies as female have found refuge and support in women's shelters. Whether a specific women's shelter is the right facility for a specific victim of violence is assessed on-site by qualified professionals, based on various criteria and needs. A biological basis or official gender registration play no role in this.

Unfortunately, the fight to protect women, whether cis or trans, continues. Especially in the current antifeminist backlash, where the „manosphere“ and right-wing men's groups are strengthened by podcasts, algorithms, and not least the worldwide militarization, queer-feminist solidarity is our common weapon against patriarchy!

We will not be divided. Women's rights must always include trans women's rights! We fight together in solidarity against patriarchal structures!