We aim to support intersex people and raise awareness of the diversity within the community by:

• Promotingexisting local and regional support groups and initiatives (for example, through workshops and meetings).

• Rasing awareness about the different life realities of intersex peopleand their families.

• Educatingon intersex topics (for instance, through eventsand publications).

• Promoting the quality and sustainability of existing support services, for instance by providing consultation and cooperating with the administration and professionals.

• Supporting new groups in their groundingprocess.

• Building sustainable cooperation networks and developing common strategies for intersex-consultation.

• Representing the needs and demands of intersex people and their relatives in NRW vis-à-vis political decision-makers and other stakeholders.

• Working together with advisory boards and groups of experts on specific intersex topics, as well as in related areas.

The Intersex Coordination Office is part of Queeres Netzwerk NRW e.V. (registered association based in Cologne) and receives funding from North Rhine-Westphalia’s Ministry for Children, Family, Refugees, and Integration (MKFFI). We work closely with a steering group of representatives of the intersex communities.

The steering group assists and supports the work of the specialized office. This ensures the participation of intersex communities and organizations on a structural level. Lisa Oude Lansink (delegate of Intergeschlechtliche Menschen e.V.), Dorothee Heidrich (delegate of https://interfamilien.de/tag/lila-nrw) and Şefik_a Gümüş (lila NRW) are the current members of the group. They meet at least once every two with the Intersex Coordination Office to discuss ongoing projects and upcoming events.

North Rhine-Westphalia’s Intersex Coordinaton Office (LaKo inter* NRW) is managed by Queeres Netzwerk NRW e.V..

Queeres Network NRW e.V. is a solidarity-based network in North Rhine-Westphalia that works for a diverse society and for the self-determination of gender identity and sexual and romantic orientation. It was founded in 1991 under the name of Schwules Netzwerk NRW (Gay Network NRW). In 2020, its general assembly decided to adopt the name Queeres Netzwerk (Queer Network) to reflect the diversity of its work. This statewide professional association serves the interests of LGBTIAQ+ organizations and communities. It creates networks, offers advice, and helps projects in the areas of community support, empowerment, and anti-discrimination work, as well as in many other fields. It also carries out political advocacy work on sexual & gender diversity. Queeres Netzwerk takes intersex-related topics into account on an active level while working with the administration and associations. On a political level, it supports the work of the Intersex Coordination Office.

Lou Martin (no pronouns)