Architect of Change: Building Institutions and Networks of Radical Care
Beyond advocacy and critique, a central part of Dinah Bons' legacy is her role as founder and architect of institutions designed to fill the gaps left by state systems and traditional NGOs. These organizations are not mere service providers, but manifestations of a philosophy of radical care and community empowerment.
Founded in the Netherlands in 2013, Trans United Europe is Dinah Bons' direct response to the lack of attention to BPOC trans people in conventional European LGBTQI+ organizations.
The organization defines itself as a "trans organization for Black and people of color working on anti-racism, trans labor rights, and healthcare." This definition immediately establishes its intersectional foundation and commitment to addressing multiple forms of marginalization simultaneously.
The organization's leadership structure codifies its intersectional principles, being a "BPOC trans-led organization, with people living with HIV and/or with sex work experience at the forefront."
This leadership model ensures that those most affected by multiple forms of marginalization are centered in decision-making and organizational direction.
Trans United Europe has become a crucial voice in European trans advocacy, particularly in ensuring that the experiences of BPOC trans people are not marginalized within broader LGBTQI+ movements. The organization has influenced policy discussions at national and European levels while maintaining its community-centered approach.
The Trans United Clinic is perhaps the most tangible manifestation of Bons' critique of the medical system. As founder and director, she has created a radical model of healthcare delivery that challenges conventional medical approaches to trans healthcare.
In collaboration with Amsterdam Public Health Services (GGD Amsterdam), the clinic offers hormone support and inclusive sexual health care (STI/HIV testing, PrEP/PEP) for trans and ballroom communities.
This model represents a fundamental shift from traditional medical gatekeeping to community-controlled healthcare that respects self-determination and lived experience.
The clinic's impact has been recognized through the LGBTQI+ award "Het Roze Lieverdje" received by its volunteers in 2022, acknowledging their vital contribution to community health and wellbeing.
This provides powerful qualitative evidence of the clinic's importance as a space for healing and empowerment, not just medical treatment.
The clinic embodies Bons' philosophy that healthcare should be:
Led by and accountable to the communities it serves, not external medical authorities.
Addressing the multiple identities and needs of clients, not just their trans status.
Building capacity and voice within the community, not just providing services.
Beyond founding her own organizations, Dinah Bons has taken strategic leadership roles in established institutions, working to transform them from within while building alternatives from the margins.
| Organization | Role(s) | Period | Focus Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transgender Europe (TGEU) | Strategic Director, Co-Chair | Previous, 2023-2025 | Pan-European trans rights advocacy, policy & research |
| ESWA / ICRSE | President, Operating Board Member | Current | European network advocating for sex worker rights |
| NSWP | Operating Board Member | Current | Global network advocating for sex worker health and rights |
| H-TEAM Amsterdam | Member | Current | Amsterdam-based collaboration for HIV prevention and treatment |
| Pride Amsterdam | Ambassador, Board Member | 2019-Present | LGBTQI+ Pride organization in Amsterdam |
| UNAIDS | PCB NGO Delegate (Europe) | 2022 | Representing European NGOs in UNAIDS governance |
Bons' institutional work demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of social change, recognizing that policy change is insufficient without institutions that are owned and controlled by the community.
Her trajectory shows a clear escalation in strategic thinking:
Her work as an "architect" is not just about founding organizations, but about evolving the very model of what a community organization can be: from a local service provider to a digitally-enabled transnational radical care network.
Across her organizational work, Bons has consistently implemented governance models that reflect her values of collective power, anti-oppression, and community accountability.
Implementing shared power structures that prevent the concentration of authority in single individuals and ensure diverse voices in decision-making.
Building organizations that are accountable to the communities they serve, not external funders or political interests.
Ensuring that organizational leadership and priorities reflect the intersectional nature of the communities served.
These governance principles are not theoretical but are embedded in the actual structure and operations of the organizations she has founded and led. They represent a practical application of radical democratic principles to community organizing and service provision.
The institutions built by Dinah Bons have created lasting change that extends far beyond their immediate service provision, influencing how community organizations operate and what they can achieve.
The institutions built by Dinah Bons represent not just responses to current needs, but blueprints for a different kind of society—one based on community control, intersectional solidarity, and radical care.
Her work demonstrates how local community organizations can scale their impact through strategic networking, technology, and transnational solidarity while maintaining their radical principles.
The organizations she has built provide models that can be adapted and replicated in other contexts, offering concrete examples of how to build community-controlled alternatives to state and market systems.