Between July 20 and July 25, the International LGBTQI Youth & Student Organisation (IGLYO) are collaborating with Belong To Youth Services to facilitate a ‘Countering the Anti-Gender Movement’ youth conference in Dublin.
The conference will welcome 20 young LGBTQ+ activists aged 18 to 30 from across Europe to inform, educate and empower them against the anti-gender rhetoric that has been on the rise. IGLYO explains, “By combining expert input, peer learning, and policy reflection, the event will create a space for young LGBTQI activists to connect grassroots realities with European-level advocacy”.
The Anti-Gender movement refers to a far-right ideology that opposes gender equality, feminism and LGBTQ+ rights. It is also linked to the Manosphere and Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF) movements.
Throughout, the young activists will engage in a programme of workshops, peer-to-peer exchange and policy development. IGLYO adds, “The policy ideas resulting from this Conference will be further elaborated and presented to policy- and decision-makers in Brussels in August 2026”.
Furthermore, a panel will take place during the conference, involving representatives from organisations like Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI), Sporting Pride Dublin, Belong To and the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO).
Members of the Council of Europe’s SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics) Unit will also be in attendance, giving young queer activists the opportunity to have their voices heard by policymakers.
With the increase in misinformation and harmful narratives being spread about the LGBTQ+ community in the media and online, IGLYO’s conference places the power back into the hands of the next generation.
As they state in an Instagram post, “IGLYO wants to enhance the capacity of the LGBTQI youth movement in Europe to identify anti-gender discourse, respond to it, debunk its narratives, and demand policy action.”
More information on the conference to counter the anti-gender movement can be found on IGLYO’s website.
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