Treat it Queer

What Treat it Queer does

Treat it Queer Foundation is a Netherlands-based nonprofit founded in 2021 by Maddalena Giacomozzi (Co-founder & President) and co-founders to advance queer health justice. It operates across three stated pillars — Education, Research, and Consultation — serving healthcare providers, medical educators, queer community members, and researchers through training sessions, academic collaborations, and organizational consulting on inclusive design. The foundation's products are educational rather than technological in nature: multilingual pocket cards for healthcare providers distributed across 10+ languages, graphic medicine works including "It's A Journey," interactive games such as Ask&Tell!, photovoice projects, and reference books including "MRKH Life" and "The New Gender Figure."

The product portfolio is distributed primarily as free PDF downloads, with physical copies and bespoke consultation services available on direct request. Distribution is digital-first and explicitly non-transactional: the foundation does not sell core resources, relying instead on a Donorbox donation funnel and project-specific grants to fund production. Partners named on the foundation's channels include Maastricht University, Radboud UMC, Brocher Foundation, LadyFest Maastricht, Asterisco, and Goghi&Goghi, indicating an academic-and-community delivery model rather than a commercial GTM motion.

Revenue mechanics are grant-and-donation based. Documented funding includes an Erasmus+ KA2 Youth Exchange award supporting the 2022 Summer Youth Exchange on Queer Health, and an Erasmus+ KA2 Small-scale Partnership award in 2024 underwriting development of the Ask&Tell! interactive game. Disclosed amounts are not available; Erasmus+ KA2 Small-scale Partnership allocations typically fall in the tens of thousands of euros, consistent with the foundation's 1–10 employee footprint and cumulative programmatic scale well below $1M in annual inflow.

Name

Treat it Queer

Legal name

Treat it Queer

Website

https://treatitqueer.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Treat it Queer Foundation is a Netherlands-based nonprofit founded in 2021 that develops queer-focused health education resources, including multilingual pocket cards, graphic medicine, and interactive games, for healthcare providers, educators, and LGBTQIA+ communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LGBTQ+ Health Education and Advocacy

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sexual Health & Relationship Wellness Education (EDAAAHAM), Sexual & Reproductive Health Services (EDALAFAG), Sexual & Pelvic Health Telehealth (STI care, pelvic pain, endometriosis/PCOS support) (HLALAHAJ)

Keywords

• Queer health education
• LGBTQ+ healthcare resources
• Gender-affirming care training
• Health justice advocacy
• Inclusive healthcare consultation

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization accepts donations through Donorbox platform to support their mission of queer health justice. Donations appear to be the primary funding mechanism for their nonprofit operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Treat it Queer develops and distributes queer-focused health education resources, including multilingual pocket cards, graphic medicine, interactive games, illustrative tools, and photovoice projects. The foundation also delivers education sessions and workshops, multidisciplinary research collaborations (e.g., on endometriosis in TGD populations), and consultation services such as proofreading for inclusive language, data collection guidance, and accessibility review. Products are offered as free downloadable resources, with physical copies and organizational consultation available on direct request.

Product overview

Treat it Queer is a non-profit organization focused on queer health justice, offering a diverse portfolio of educational products and resources rather than a unified software platform. The product portfolio includes: pocket card reference tools (QUEER HEALTH: Knowledge in your pocket) for healthcare providers; graphic medicine works (It's A Journey) for community education; interactive educational games (Ask&Tell!); community-focused photovoice projects (The Queer Picture, Transcending Barriers, Queer Postcards); medical information resources (MRKH Life, The New Gender Figure); and retrospective publications documenting programs and events (2022 Youth Exchange Retrospective Booklet). These products serve healthcare professionals, queer community members, researchers, and allies through various formats including printable materials, downloadable resources, and physical products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• QUEER HEALTH: Knowledge in your pocket A quick-reference pocket card deck designed for care providers to have accessible information on queer health principles, inclusive language, gender-affirmative care options, and discussions of gender dysphoria and euphoria. Available in 10+ languages including English, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Armenian, Hungarian, Latvian, and Slovenian.
• It's A Journey A piece of graphic medicine that tells the story of Colt navigating chronic illness and gender diversity, combining narrative power with medical and health-related content to translate complex medical knowledge into accessible format. Includes wallpapers as supplementary materials.
• Ask&Tell! An interactive card game about the intersection of sex, queerness, neurodivergence, chronic illness, and disability, designed to be played with friends, partners, and comfortable strangers to encourage dialogue on underrepresented topics in sex and sexualities education.
• MRKH Life A book and resource gathering information and testimonies about living with MRKH (Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser) syndrome, along with reliable medical information. Meant for those recently diagnosed with MRKH, as well as family, friends, partners, and healthcare professionals.
• The New Gender Figure An illustrative tool redesigned to quickly and clearly explain the differences and nuances between identity, orientation, expression, and sex. Combines clear lines and contrasting colors suitable for professional settings while retaining accessibility.
• Queer Postcards - A slow travel story A project using Photovoice methodology to re-center experiences of trans and gender diverse people living with chronic illness, disability, and neurodivergence in the gender and climate crisis context. Travel was slow-tempoed using sustainable risograph printing with soy- and water-based inks.
• The Queer Picture A photovoice collection of portraits and associated testimonials presenting an intimate look at queer people and their experience of healthcare in the Netherlands. Re-centers and showcases queer community voices about what is important to them in healthcare.
• Transcending Barriers A photovoice collection created in collaboration with third-year bachelor students from Radboud University Medical Center's Gender-affirming Health Minor. Documents barriers and enabling factors to healthcare access faced by transgender individuals through instant photography.
• 2022 Youth Exchange on Queer Health - Retrospective Booklet A retrospective booklet documenting the Summer Youth Exchange on Queer Health held August 13-20, 2022 in Trentino, Italy. Contains photos and participant testimonials from the weeklong retreat that brought together young professionals, activists, and individuals under 30 to discuss queer health topics.
• Education sessions and workshops Education sessions and workshops providing understanding of the lived reality of queer people seeking healthcare, delivered to healthcare providers, educators, and community members.
• Research collaborations Multidisciplinary research collaborations on queer health topics such as endometriosis in transgender and gender diverse populations, conducted with academic and policy partners.
• Consultation services Consultation services supporting organizations in achieving inclusive design, including proofreading for inclusive language, data collection guidance, accessibility review, and marketing support. Available in English, French, Dutch, Italian, and Spanish.

Quantifiable outcome

• Youth Exchange engaged 40 participants from multiple countries in queer health education
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.

• Fuori Orario FemministasecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 2022Fuori Orario Femminista co-organized the 2022 Summer Youth Exchange on Queer Health in Trentino, Italy, alongside Treat it Queer Foundation and Associazione Te@.
• Associazione Te@secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 2022Associazione Te@ co-organized the 2022 Summer Youth Exchange on Queer Health in Trentino, Italy, alongside Treat it Queer Foundation and Fuori Orario Femminista.
• Maastricht University Diversity & Inclusion officecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Maastricht University's Diversity & Inclusion office for collaborative work on queer health education and research. This partnership supports academic outreach and legitimizes the organization's educational materials.
• LadyFest MaastrichtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with LadyFest Maastricht for joint events and community outreach. LadyFest is a feminist festival organization that aligns with Treat it Queer's mission of amplifying marginalized voices.
• Women's Health & Education NetworksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Women's Health & Education Network for shared advocacy work at the intersection of gender and health.
• Goghi & GoghicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoghi & Goghi is a core partner in multiple projects including the Ask & Tell sexual health education initiative and the 2022 Youth Exchange. This partnership appears in both funding acknowledgments and project credits.
• AsteriscocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsterisco is a partner in the Ask & Tell project - a 2-year sexual health education initiative by and for queer people. Asterisco brings expertise to the development of inclusive sexual education materials.
• Brocher FoundationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Brocher Foundation in Switzerland hosted the TRANSforming Endometriosis Research workshop in June 2023, providing venue and support for the multidisciplinary research event.
• Radboud University Medical CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTreat it Queer collaborated with third-year bachelor students from Radboud University Medical Center's Gender-affirming Health Minor (Tranzorg van jong tot oud) to create the Transcending Barriers photovoice project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ILGA-Europe: European regional LGBTQ+ advocacy umbrella that convenes and supports national organizations. Treat it Queer participates in a similar ecosystem, leveraging Erasmus+ and EU grant funding streams that ILGA-Europe helps unlock and distribute.
• COC Netherlands: Dutch LGBTQ+ advocacy organization operating in the same home market as Treat it Queer. COC is a broad-based rights and advocacy nonprofit, whereas Treat it Queer focuses narrowly on health education, but both compete for the same Dutch queer-community donor and volunteer base.
• Transgender Europe (TGEU): European network focused on transgender rights and health policy. TGEU operates at a policy and advocacy layer, while Treat it Queer focuses on provider training and patient education; both target overlapping medical and academic audiences across Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Fenway Health: US-based LGBTQ+ healthcare and research organization that combines clinical services, education, and policy advocacy. Comparable to Treat it Queer in combining medical expertise with queer health education, but at materially larger scale and with a direct clinical delivery model.
• Callen-Lorde Community Health Center: New York-based LGBTQ+ community health center offering clinical care, training, and education. Overlaps with Treat it Queer in training healthcare providers on inclusive care, but operates as a clinical provider rather than a pure education/advocacy nonprofit.
• It Gets Better Project: Large global LGBTQ+ youth advocacy and education nonprofit cited directly on Treat it Queer's own glossary page. Operates at significantly larger scale with broader mission, but serves overlapping LGBTQ+ youth education and visibility objectives.
• GLAAD: Major US LGBTQ+ media advocacy and education organization. Both organizations operate in LGBTQ+ education/awareness-raising, though GLAAD is media-focused and significantly larger and better-resourced.

Emerging players

• The Trevor Project: US-based LGBTQ+ youth crisis and education nonprofit with comparable grant-funded, advocacy-driven model. Both serve LGBTQ+ young people through educational resources and partnerships, though Trevor focuses on crisis intervention.

Others

• Brocher Foundation: Swiss research foundation that hosted Treat it Queer's TRANSforming Endometriosis workshop. Operates as an enabler/funder of bioethics and health policy research rather than a competitor, but operates in the same intersection of queer health research and academic convening.
• WPATH: World Professional Association for Transgender Health, a professional body that publishes clinical guidelines and trains providers on gender-affirming care. Treat it Queer's provider training materials operate as a complementary grassroots resource alongside WPATH's authoritative clinical guidance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/treatitqueer
• Facebookfacebook.com/treatitqueer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Treat it Queer