2021 East and Southeast Asia trans communities forum

Born in Bangkok, Prempreeda Pramoj Na Ayutthaya holds an MA in Social Development from Chiang Mai University, and an MA in Health Social Sciences from Mahidol University. Both her master’s theses were concerned with rights for sexual minorities, especially transgender people. One of the founding working group members of Asia Pacific Transgender Network, she has worked with various local and international CSOs to assist key affected populations as regards HIV prevention and care, in particular, as a community representative and liaison for an HIV Prevention Trial for the Thai Ministry of Public Health and the US Center for Disease Control. At UNESCO Bangkok, she has served as HIV/AIDS National Programme Officer. Prem has lectured on issues of gender-sexuality and social movement at several universities. Currently, she is Vice President of Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand, and is founding her own “Be Visible Asia,” which aims to reach various groups among the LGBT, particularly bisexual and non-binary people, and trans people and their partners, as well as trans refugees.

He Tao is a transgender woman who heads the transgender department at Beijing LGBT Center. She is the former lead coordinator of the National Transgender Hotline (全國跨性別熱線); special advisor at Trans Youth Education Center (跨青年教育中心); former editing director at Queer Comrades of Beijing Gender. She participated in the Youth Leadership Program of Los Angeles LGBT Center in 2019. He Tao is also a lecturer, documentary filmmaker and photographer who concerns about issues around gender diversity and equality, and transgender healthcare development.

Seung-hyun Lee is a trans activist and a legal researcher(PhD in constitutional law). He has involved in LGBT movement from 2003 and founded the first transgender activist group in South Korea in 2006. He participated in legislating gender recognition bill as a member of the working group of CSO network in 2006, and carried forward lawsuit for legal gender recognition of transman in 2013 etc. Currently, he is a chief director of Beyond the Rainbow Foundation, and also take part in Korean Society of Law and Policy on SOGI, Korean Society of LGBTI Studies, and Korean Transgender Rights Organization Jogakbo. His concerned issue on transgender are the legal status including legal gender recognition and the right to health. Meanwhile, as a researcher and lecturer in Yonsei University, he has given a lecture on Constitutional Law and human rights, and also has written a number of articles and books on hate speech, SOGI rights and transgender rights.

Mehlab Jameel is a Lahore-based researcher who takes a keen interest in issues of gender and sexuality in postcolonial contexts. She holds a degree in Anthropology and Sociology from Lahore University of Management Sciences. She has been engaged in advocacy for transgender rights in Pakistan for the past five years, including co-drafting and lobbying the landmark Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018. Besides being a keen observer of queer-feminist politics in Pakistan, she has also consulted on provincial and local policies through various civil society forums. She is currently serving as the Technical Support person on a project centered on legal awareness and advocacy on human rights violations at a community-based organization in Pakistan called HOPE. She spends her time working at the grassroots to politically educate, engage and mobilize the community.

Pan Bailin is the Associate chief physician and associate professor at the Department of Plastic Surgery of Peking University Third Hospital, where he established a professional team dedicated to gender affirming service. The first of its kind in the country, this team combines expertise ranging from psychological counselling to endocrinology, reproductive medicine, otolaryngology, general surgery, and plastic surgery. The medical team also offers polyclinics specialised in gender dysphoria, providing transgender clients with essential services. Pan develops and runs the “TransMed” app on WeChat and set up the first transgender fund “Blooming Trans Foundation”. He is a member of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

Dr. Nguyen Cao Minh, lecturer at Hanoi National University, is a professional psychologist who has been an ally in the development of standards of care in Vietnam including his involvement in the development of the Vietnamese guidelines for psychological practice with transgender and gender diverse people. He is also working as a technical expert involved with the Ministry of Health in Vietnam during the process of drafting and commenting on the draft of the Gender Affirmation Law. Minh was also with the WPATH during their training in Vietnam back in 2020 and currently providing support and services for members of the community.

Kritima Samitpol or Jemma is a Thai transgender woman activist with many years of experiences in trans advocacy. She currently holds the position of a Clinic Supervisor for Tangerine Community Health Clinic, the first transgender-led sexual health and well-being clinic for transgender people in Thailand, operated by The Institute of HIV and Research Innovation (IHRI). She works closely with the transgender community in addressing their health concerns and needs by providing them with the most up-to-date knowledge and comprehensive health services. She also works with Thai transgender social media influencers to increase awareness and reach out to transgender individuals at high risk of HIV acquisition.

Mani (he/him) is Co-Founder of Have Only Positive Expectations (HOPE) and working as a Program Executor in the organization. HOPE works on: Holistic Well-Being; Economic, Social and Legal Justice; Safety & Security; Sexual and Gender Based Violation; Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights. Mani is also a Deputy Convenor of a coalition of 35 organization in Punjab called Coalition of Inclusive Pakistan (CIP). He is also a member of Global Advisory Committee of Equal Asia Forum. He is the former Co-Chair of ILGA Asia which also made him the Executive Board Member of ILGA World. He a part of Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict – GPPAC from South Asia. He is also part of many local networks in Pakistan. Mani is the pioneer of Transgender-men movement in Pakistan. He is the one who start the discussion about transgender men issues, struggle, challenges and rights which makes him the essential part of the Transgender Persons (protection of Rights) Act 2018 and now he is playing a vital & active role in Provincial Transgender bill for inclusion of transgender men.

Sakura Lam is a registered social worker (RSW) in Hong Kong and a Certified Public Psychologist (公認心理師) in Japan. She is a front line staff of Gender Empowerment, responsible for case intake, support groups and assists all activities which support the gender transition of transgender persons.

Yuko Higashi is a professor and a deputy director of ACCESS Center of Osaka Prefecture University, which established guidelines to protect diverse sexual orientations and gender identities (SOGI) on campus.

Ituki Dohi is a high school maths teacher at a public high school in Kyoto, a trans woman and activist, and the founder/caretaker of the Trans Student Exchange. She received the Outstanding Students Contribution Award from WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) in 2016 for her work with trans kids/students.

Chitsanupong “Best” Nithiwana is the first transgender participant from Thailand to attend the YSEALI Academic Fellowship in the United States. In 2018, she led her alumni team to win the 2nd Place and Crowd Favorite Project Proposal to create a safe space for LGBTQI+ community at YSEALI Summit Innovation Slam in Singapore. Young Pride Club was founded by Best Chitsanupong and a group of Chiang Mai university students in 2018 with a simple desire to empower transgender students with the right and freedom for self expression through the simple means of being able to dress in uniforms matching the gender identities they identify with. Since their establishment, Young Pride Club provides a safe learning space for young people interested in gender equality and the LGBTQ+ Community, supported by the Department of Women’s Studies CMU.