Addressing Health Inequalities. Settings-Based Health Promotion for Transgender and Non-Binary People in Germany

Miriam Tariba Richter; Ray Trautwein; Lando Lankenau; Kilian Rupp

doi:10.17169/ogj.2026.391

Authors

Miriam Tariba Richter HAW Hamburg https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3159-7367
Ray Trautwein
Lando Lankenau
Kilian Rupp

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17169/ogj.2026.391

Keywords:

Equal Opportunities, Gender Identity, Health, Non-Binary, Transgender

Abstract

The World Health Organization has proclaimed health as a fundamental human right. This right is not equally available to all: transgender and non-binary (TNB) people have a high overall likelihood of encountering discrimination, minority stress, and norms imposed from without, which leading to corresponding negative impacts on their health. Our project GeLebT* sought to identify ways of promoting health among TNB people. We used a qualitative research design to analyse data from three target groups. Our findings demonstrate the need for significant improvements in healthcare for TNB people due to the negative health impacts associated with their current experience of healthcare. Appropriate health promotion requires support for TNB people’s resilience and health-promoting structural conditions in settings such as workplaces and sports. Healthcare professionals have a particular role due to their capacity to reduce discrimination and to help remove barriers to accessing healthcare.

Author Biographies

Miriam Tariba Richter, HAW Hamburg

Dr. Miriam Tariba Richter is a Professor of Nursing Science specializing in Gender and Diversity at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health. She served as project leader for the GeLebT* research project. Her main research areas are gender and transgender health, diversity, antiracism and antidiscrimination, DisAbility in health services.

Ray Trautwein

Ray Trautwein works in organizational development, focusing on strategy, diversity, and career development. As part of the GeLebT* project, he worked as a research associate at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health. His main research areas are transgender health, diversity in organizations and anti-discrimination law.

Lando Lankenau

Lando Lankenau works in the state-level public sector, currently at the intersection of health policy, public administration, and strategic governance. In the GeLebT* project, Lando Lankenau worked as a research associate at Europa-Universität Flensburg and Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. Their research interests include health equity, the politics of care work, and feminist political economy.

Kilian Rupp

Kilian Rupp is a social worker with a focus on social work in health care and anti-discrimination and worked as a research assistant at the HAW Hamburg.

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Addressing Health Inequalities. Settings-Based Health Promotion for Transgender and Non-Binary People in Germany

Authors

DOI:

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Abstract