Join ILGA and help make a difference. Lesbians under the IIIrd Reich

CAMPAIGNING
for human rights since 1978
ILGA is a worldwide network of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organisations working
for human rights and against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.
Dakar | How to cope with the Aids
Epidemic when homosexuality remains
taboo? And Ligeey > page 4
New Zealand | “The most interesting
comment I heard was that homosexuals
don’t live much past 45 years old! says Tim
Barnett. > page 6
Sri Lanka | “Disasters do not recognize
borders, ethnicities, religions or sexual
orientations” by Rosanna Flamer-Caldera
> page 9
Lebanon | Waging the Rainbow flag in the
Arab world > page 16
Chile | The United Nations honours the
Social and Political efforts of MOVILH
> page 14
Canada | Equal Marriage is the biggest
fight since decriminalization in 1969
> page 16
When is the best time to plant a tree?
| Kursad Kahramanoglu
Gay Marriage in Spain. Homophobia
wakes up | Sylvia Jaen
International Day Against Homophobia
| Louis Georges Tin
Issue 117 | March 2005
LGBT Rights at the United Nations:
a serious omission
August 6th 1992. For the first time ever, homosexuality
was openly addressed at the United Nations. In the
name of Human Rights Advocates and ILGA, Professor
Douglas Sanders decried how Lesbian and Gay rights
had received no attention in the human rights work of
the UN. He called it "a serious omission". 11 years later,
in 2003, Brazil presents a resolution on sexual
orientation at the UN Commission on Human Rights in
Geneva, immediately stopped by a solid block of countries. After Brazil’s decision to
defer its discussion in 2004, the question still remains unanswered: how long will LGBT
rights be ignored at the UN? > page 22
Lesbians under the IIIrd Reich:
Be invisible or perish
This year, a large part of Europe is celebrating the
60th anniversary of the liberation from Nazi
occupation. For this occasion many new books,
analyses, and biographies are being published to
keep the memory alive. However, one page of the
history of this dark period remains untold, that of
the lot reserved for lesbian women in 1933-1945
Germany. Some have even gone so far as to suggest
that lesbians were actually non-victims of the Nazi regime. These assertions appear
absurd when one takes into account the fact that homosexuality was considered a
defect by national-socialist ideology and that any woman who did not keep up her
traditional duties to get married and have children to perpetuate the pure Aryan race
was suspect.> page 26
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Coming Up
28.02 - 03.11
...................................
08.03 - 17.10
...................................
17.05
...................................
At the Fourth World Conference on
Women in Beijing in 1995, governments
pledged to repeal all discriminatory laws.
In June 2000, a Special Session of the
United Nations General Assembly
reviewed implementation of the Beijing
Platform for Action on the occasion of its
fifth anniversary, and governments
pledged in the Outcome Document they
adopted to review domestic legislation
"with a view to striving to remove
discriminatory provisions as soon as
possible, preferably by 2005..." The 2005
deadline is fast approaching, yet laws
that explicitly discriminate against
women remain in force in many
countries.
Women from various countries are
organising the relay of the Women's
Global Charter for Humanity from country
to country between March 8 and October
17, 2005. Actions to highlight this
symbolic passing and the values of the
Charter will also be organised. The
Charter is a proposal to build a world
where exploitation, oppression,
intolerance and exclusion no longer exist
and where integrity, diversity and the
rights and freedoms of all are respected.
The Women's Global Charter for
Humanity is the fruit of a long process of
consultation, discussion and debate with
women's groups in 60 countries.
On May 17th 1990, the General
Assembly of the World Health
Organization removed homosexuality
from its list of mental disorders. This
specific date was selected to celebrate
the International Day Against
Homophobia (IDAHO!), on the initiative
of French activist Louis-Georges Tin. The
project, supported by ILGA which hosts a
petition in favour of the celebration on
www.ilga.org, is campaigning for a world
Day against Homophobia on national and
international calendars. LGBT groups are
encouraged to take actions that specific
day to raise awareness on homophobia
around the world. Please contact:
[email protected]
The Beijing+10 Review Process
World March for Women
Intl Day Against Homophobia
www.un.org/womenwatch
www.marchemondiale.org
www.ilga.org
2nd ILGA Asia Conference
16th World Festival of Youth
Jerusalem World Pride
16.06 – 19.06
...................................
As political turmoil in Nepal has lead to
an increase of instability and a
dangerous situation on the ground, ILGA
regional representatives and its
Nepalese member Blue Diamond Society
decided to relocate the Asian regional
conference from Kathmandu to Cebu City
in The Philippines. CLIC (Can't live in the
Closet) and CebuPride are joining efforts
for the organization of the 2nd ILGA Asia
Regional Conference. "Coming Out,
Coming Home" was chosen as a title to
illustrate the difficulty of coming out in
Asian societies while underlining the
need to be accepted within your own
family environment.
www.ilga.org
5.08 – 13.08
...................................
The 16th World Festival of Youth and
Students will take place in Caracas,
Venezuela, under the slogan "for peace
and solidarity - we struggle against
imperialism and war." The Festival is a
“space to exchange ideas and share
experiences of the struggles against war,
racism, sexism, privatization, corporate
globalization, attacks on workers' right to
organize, and the destruction of our
environment”. Heisler Vaamonde, ILGA
Representative for the Caribbean region,
has made an appeal for LGBT groups to
participate in national preparatory
meetings of the event to make sure that
discrimination on the grounds of sexual
orientation is addressed in its program.
www.caracas2005.info
18.08 – 28.08
...................................
The 22nd conference of InterPride, held
in 2003 in Montreal with over 150
delegates voted to accept the bid of
Jerusalem Open House (JOH) to host
WorldPride 2005 in the Holy City. After
Rome in 2000, Jerusalem which has
known pride marches for the last two
years, will host the second WorldPride
event ever held. Hagai El-Ad, Executive
Director of JOH, expressed his hope that
the Pride march in Jerusalem would
“bring a new focus to an ancient city
through a massive demonstration of
LGBT dignity, pride, and boundarycrossing celebration. In these times of
intolerance and suspicion, from the home
of three of the world's great religions, we
will proclaim that Love has no borders.”
See an alternative point of view page 18.
www.worldpride.net
Editorial
When is the best time
to plant a tree?
Being a true activist is one of the most
thankless jobs in the world. The life of a
lesbian, gay, bisexual and a
transsexual (LGBT) person, especially
those young people who do not have
the privilege of being born in one of
those few “enlightened” countries,
often starts with a huge sense of
loneliness… Activists usually fight with
very little or no benefit for themselves,
against huge odds, and usually with
hardly any recognition for their efforts.
Add to this, the ridicule and danger that
LGBT activists sometimes have to face
in different parts of the world.
Why bother then? Why can’t we sit in
our comfortable closets and let history
take its course? Isn’t it just a matter of
time before the world will realise
the injustice of it all and make
discrimination disappear? Who cares if
there are seven countries in the world
in which homosexuality is punishable
by death? What difference does it
make if even in the most developed
democracies of the world we have to
fight tooth and nail to be considered
equal to heterosexuals? Do we have to
care that the Catholic Church has
entered into an unholy alliance with
Islamic Countries at the United Nations
to insist that we are sub-human?
We here in ILGA do care. I am writing
these words in the newly launched
ILGA Bulletin, “Campaigning,” to tell
you that you are not alone. ILGA is your
organisation and we will continue to
raise the banner together everywhere
in the world, in every forum possible.
We planted our tree 27 years ago. It is
now a huge, magnificent tree with
roots in 6 continents. Today, you are
witnessing a new branch of this tree by
reading “Campaigning.” We may be a
big tree, but we know that our mission
is easier if we are part of the forest.
The best time to plant a tree may have
been 20 years ago but if you didn’t
plant your tree then, plant it now. Be
part of the ILGA Family. Join us.
Kursad Kahramanoglu
Editor - February 2005
Founded in 1978, ILGA is a world-wide network of national and local groups dedicated to achieving equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgendered (LGBT) people everywhere. It is to this day the only international non-profit community-based federation focused on presenting
discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation as a global issue.
The ILGA Executive Board is elected by ILGA members at
regional or world conferences. The list of Board members elected The International Lesbian and Gay Association is supported by
at the last World Conference is on page 30. The next world
Conference will take place in Geneva, March 28 - April 3, 2006.
ILGA, Kolenmarkt, 81, B – 1000 Brussels.
Tel/Fax: 00 32 2 502 24 71- [email protected]
www.ilga.org
3 Campaigning
Facts & Comments
Dakar: How to cope with the AIDS epidemic
when homosexuality remains taboo?
“Coming Together to Work Together”
Seven years ago, a small group of gay friends in the Senegalese capital of Dakar decided to organise themselves to face the
challenges confronting homosexuals in the West African countries. Their group, “And Ligeey,” “Coming Together to Work
Together” in the native local language Wolof, now counts more than a thousand members throughout Senegal’s eleven provinces.
And coming together to work together is exactly what they have done to tackle the many problems facing the LGBT community in
Senegal, most notably the AIDS crisis. In the African way, the group has stuck together through it all, creating a “Tontine,” a sort
of pool of money that everyone contributes to and those with problems can take from when the need arises. Unfortunately, the
problems and needs seem as if they will never stop growing; and the group is having trouble keeping up. How can homosexuality
be the subject of studies funded through international funds for prevention puposes and implemented by the State when it itself
does not recognise homosexuality? How can we get our prevention work for the gay community if we remain ignored? We’ve
asked one of the main members of the group, who we will refer to as “Fer,” how And Ligeey plans to grow and cope with the
mounting AIDS epidemic in a country where homosexuality remains forbidden and a taboo subject.
The media has been talking lately about a Dakar-based gay
group trying to get funding for HIV-AIDS prevention work in the
gay community. How is this effort going?
We requested some money to do an HIV/AIDS project in the gay male
community here in Senegal about a year ago. There is money available;
the problem is that we are still waiting for a green light from the Nation
Commission for the Fight against AIDS (NCFA), an arm of the central
government, and they are
still dragging their feet over
funding an MSM (men
having sex with other men)
program. Senegalese law
doesn’t explicitly mention
sexual orientation, but does
forbid
“acts
against
nature.” The authorities
use this law to deny our
very existence. They had been ignoring our request for more than a year
until we forced the issue by talking to the international press.
“It’s as if they
offered to listen
to us only to
denounce us...”
Are you talking about the article written by IRIN (the press
department of the United Nations for humanitarian and human
rights affairs) and widely distributed on the net?
Yes, and since that article was published things have started to move.
ILGA March 05 4
The NCFA called us and said they would create a special committee
specifically set up to consider the project! But putting pressure on the
government by taking the issue directly to the international community
through the international press was really the only way we had
available to us to make things happen… The local media talks about
gay people here only in a very negative way, usually to make fun of us,
especially in the tabloids. They would never even think about publishing
an article on financing a health program for gay people.
So what do you think the chances are that the NCFA actually
does agree to finance the project?
We really don’t know. I’m actually rather pessimistic; the law is against
us; society in general rejects us, and religious factions are pressuring
the government to deny us the money. The most egregious though is
the attitude of the health services. They have already received money
from the international community to do this work, and they are just
sitting on it.
Have the health services even recognised the existence of LGBT
people in Senegal?
Yes and no. Even if the law ignores us, nobody can really deny that we
exist; too many gay men are sick here. The University of Dakar recently
did some research on Senegal’s gay community, but it turned out to be
useless to LGBT people here. In fact, it actually turned into a nightmare
Africa
for those who contributed; as the information was published in the
press; and those involved were often victims of homophobic attacks.
Now, gay people in this country are even less willing to come out and
talk about homosexuality. It’s as if they offered to listen to us only to
denounce us.
“Even if the law
ignores us,
nobody can really
deny that we
exist: too many
gay men are sick
here”
What is the current
atmosphere
towards
LGBT people in Senegal?
Homosexuality is talked
about, but only to demonize
gay people. The law allows
gays to be prosecuted; the
police organise raids;
people can be imprisoned
and there’s nothing we can
do about it. The
government uses the fact
that the criminal code is a
leftover of French colonial
law as an excuse to do
nothing. There is no debate, no perspective for improvement. Two years
ago, I contacted the local section of Amnesty international, and was told
that, even though protecting the rights of sexual minorities is clearly
part of the association’s mandate, they weren’t ready to do anything on
the matter. I also spoke with Youssou N’Dour (an internationally
renowned Senegalese singer); he told me that he thought his support
would put his career in jeopardy, and that values hadn’t evolved enough.
We’re hoping to have the support of the international LGBT community
to pressure the government. We have been in contact with some LGBT
associations in France to see what they can do to help us out. On May
17th, the World Day Against Homophobia, they are going to picket in
front of the Senegalese embassy in Paris.
For more information on the World Day Against Homophobia,
and what you can do to help make it a success, please read the
article on page 8.
Zimbabwe:
Just a bit more cash
and I'll be a woman again,
says athlete
February 10, 2005: Zimbabwean sporting authorities were this
week shocked to discover that one of the country's top female
athletes is actually a man. Multiple medal winner Samukeliso
Sithole was outed as a man while waiting for a train at a railway
station, the Herald reported. The athlete was accompanying friends
who were travelling to an athletics meeting when a man
approached and said Sithole was actually a man.
Friend and fellow female competitor Melita Mudondiro then filed
charges of crimen injuria and impersonation against Sithole, saying
she had frequently dressed and undressed in front of him, believing
he was a woman. Sithole was arrested by police in the Midlands
chrome-producing city of Kwekwe, where a government doctor
confirmed his gender
However, the athlete claims he was born with both male and
female genitals. He told a Kwekwe court that his parents had
consulted a traditional healer in the eastern district of Chipinge who
provided herbs which made him female.
But because his parents had paid only half the fee, his male
genitalia had reappeared. In fact, he said, on the day that he
appeared in court he was to pay the settlement amount. Had he
been been able to do this, his male genitalia would have gone away
again. Court officials were not sure whether to remand the athlete
in male or female cells.
Sithole has won several regional gold and silver medals for triple
jump, shot put and javelin. The National Athletics Association is
investigating.
Taken from Star newspaper/Behind the mask: www.mask.org.za
5 Campaigning
Australia, New-Zealand and Pacific Islands
Civil Unions in New Zealand: “we decided to
create something new rather than add on to
marriage”
A win-win solution
The new law on Civil Unions and the “Relationships” bill have been the highlights of the 2004 political year in New Zealand. The
first one creates the institution of civil unions while the second revises more than 190 laws to make them compatible with the
human rights act . Both were passed during their second readings in early December and should be finalized in the coming months.
Gay activist for many years and member of Parliament, Tim Barnett, explains why marriage wasn’t an option.
Did the campaign on civil unions create a clear division
between the political parties?
To a certain extent, yes it did. We’ve had people from both sides
supporting and opposing it but one can really say we had a left/right
scenario in the Parliament. On one side, the Labour and the Green Party
were in favour. ACT New Zealand, a libertarian group, was also very
much supportive of the laws. Opposing it were United Future and the
New Zealand First Party, and most National (conservative) MPs. There
are currently three out LGBT MPs in New Zealand, one is the first
transgender person ever elected to any Parliament in the world. We all
belong to the Labour party which has a Rainbow section. All in all, the
political scene is very gay friendly in New Zealand. There are a lot of
women in high political positions, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice,
the Attorney General… it makes it easier for the LGBT agenda.
You have chaired the Select Committee, a body set up by
Parliament to hear people’s concerns and opinions on public
affairs. What were the usual lines and topics that came
against this particular change of law?
New Zealand prides itself on regularly consulting its people on new
laws. I was the chair of the eleven member committee which travelled
to various parts of the country. We received over 6000 submissions – a
record! - and heard over 300 oral submissions on the bill. Three
quarters of those were against civil unions and they mainly came from
people who interpret the bible literally. One of their arguments was
that there are fewer homosexual people than what is thought, thereby
minimizing the importance of the law. Another was that same sex
relationships didn’t last very long and that in the long run, we would
encourage everybody to become gay or lesbian.
ILGA March 05 6
Civil Unions will also apply to heterosexual couples or de
facto couples. How were heterosexual couples involved in
favour of the bill?
Out of the 300 oral submissions, we had twenty or twenty-five
heterosexual couples sharing their situation with us. 25% of the
heterosexual couples in New Zealand are not married and 33% of
young heterosexual couples. That just shows how important the need
was to have new legislation.
In December, there were some who pushed for a referendum
on the law. Don’t you feel that this would have been a good
opportunity to show how many people support civil unions?
I am convinced we would have won it but I was strongly opposed to it.
It would have made a moral issue out of a legal question and would
have been obvious attempt to target LGBT rights in general which
would have generated some difficult debates. LGBT rights have been
protected in New Zealand for the last ten years through human rights
law: why go through this again? For example, New Zealand has a
large Maori (indigenous) population, and the average New Zealander
is very wary of according “new” or so-called “special” rights to other
minorities. If there were to be a referendum on Maori rights, it would
probably fail, and we didn’t want to take the risk of seeing our efforts
fail in the same way.
If you felt you had such support from the people, why did not
you try to go for marriage?
I think we have reached the end of the agenda of copying institutions
which are moulded on a heterosexual model.… We felt that we were
better off creating something new rather than trying to replicate
formalized LGBT lobby in New Zealand. So we really had to pull
together to work on this campaign. My parliamentary office worked a
lot on the subject. We sent weekly e-newsletters to keep people
informed, we had a specific website (www.civilunions.org.nz) and I
met people around the country. During the last week of the campaign
we asked our email contacts to contact Members of Parliament. They
received around 2500 emails each! 80% were from people who
supported the bills. Many MPs were intellectually in favour of the bill
but they were afraid of taking a public position with elections planned
for September. The supportive emails they received did a lot to
reassure them.
Gay activist and member of Parliament, Tim Barnett (right) was the chair
of the committee that toured New Zealand to consult its people on civil
unions: “the most interesting comment I heard was that homosexuals
have a shorter lifespan, that we don’t live much past 45 years old! That
had my colleagues laughing a lot. They said I was a medical miracle!”
marriage. And we are strong enough to propose something right for
our community. The new law is better in its language, it’s open to
everyone: It’s a win-win solution both for same-sex couples and de
facto heterosexual couples. It is a new institution, genuinely positive.
We got rid of the obligation to take a specifically worded vow, a
problem we heard over and over about marriage. After all, 80% of
New Zealanders approve of couples living outside of wedlock.
How well did the LGBT community and politicians coordinate
their work?
We really don’t have what you could describe as an organized and
You also hold a position on human rights issues as
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Associate Minister of
Justice on Human Rights issues. What is the current state of
affairs regarding New Zealand’s position on the Brazilian
resolution?
New Zealand has always been very supportive of the Brazilian
resolution. We will make a statement in favour of it this year as we
did last year. I think we are one of the best supporters of it. I will meet
Rosanna Flamer-Caldera (ILGA co-secretary general next week (end of
February) to talk about it and I will make sure we meet the Foreign
Affairs Minister as well, while she’s here giving conferences on the
resolution.
How do you explain Australia’s stance is so different from that
of New Zealand?
They have a conservative government! That makes it obviously harder
to achieve any progress on personal freedoms and human rights. They
might be three hours away by plane but they really are our next door
neighbour and, well… we’re good neighbours: we agree to disagree!
“There are no “real” justifications for our exclusion from marriage” By Nigel Christie
“New Zealand’s human rights legislation tells us that we (same-sex couples) shall have access to marriage unless there is an “objectively
justifiable” reason why not. But, there are no “real” justifications for our exclusion. The only reasons which persist are based in, for example,
political pragmatism, public un-readiness (unacceptance), conservative religious opposition. These are not permissible grounds for denying
full and equal treatment under the law.For same-sex couples, civil unions cannot be a valid “alternative” to marriage, if the option of marriage
is denied. Civil unions will not lead to full and equal treatment under the law. This issue should be about status, entitlement, and freedom of
choice. It should not be about ignoring those who seek the right to equality under the law except to tell them that what they seek is
unwarranted. The “use-by” date of civil unions regimes has passed. They are not progressive in 2005, but rather are a means of perpetuating
inequality. To provide same-sex couples with civil unions rather than access to marriage on the premise of a human rights response to the call
for the legal recognition of same-sex relationships (whether different-sex couples be included or not) is significantly flawed”.
7 Campaigning
Taking Action !
Against Homophobia
INTERNATIONAL DAY
The International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), for an international recognition of lesbians, gays, bi and trans
people will take place on May 17th in more than 30 countries all over the world.
Objectives
1/ - provoke action: debates, exhibitions, radio programs, screenings, short story
competitions, awareness campaigns, etc.
2/ - coordinate and increase the visibility of efforts of lgbt groups involved in actions
on May 17th. If all our efforts happen the same day, they will be all the more visible
and efficient. And as the day will become an annual meeting, the media and public
opinion will be all the more attentive to the questions brought up. Moreover, those
who coordinate this Day in each country will report back the results of the efforts
and inform journalists.
3/ - to place this Day on the national calendar in a maximum number of countries,
and then, why not, to have it adopted on an international level. Obviously, this is a
long term objective, if not an ideal. But official recognition is not just a symbol, even
if symbols have real power, as we all know. Recognition will contribute to the
persistence of the fight. It will also make it possible to show that the fight against
homophobia is not only the business of LGBT people, but that it is the full
responsibility of public authorities and the will of the whole of society.
Why May 17th?
On 17 May 1990, the General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO)
removed homosexuality from their list of mental disorders. This action served to end
more than a century of medical homophobia. From now on, following this historic
decision, we wish that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and
the United Nations Commission for Human Rights will also condemn homophobia in
its political, social and cultural dimension by recognizing this International Day
Against Homophobia. The decision of the WHO constitutes a historic date and
powerful symbol for members of the LGBT community. It is important for 3 reasons:
- it is an international, not a national symbol, so every country may refer to it.
- as we refer to a symbol of the WHO, we will ask them to do for trans people what
has been done for gays and lesbians;
- when we ask the United Nations for an international recognition, it will be less
difficult if we are under the umbrella of a WHO symbol.
Contact Louis-Georges Tin [email protected]
ILGA March 05 8
Sponsors
The main sponsor of
IDAHO is the International
Lesbian and Gay
Association (ILGA), where
the international petition is
hosted (www.ilga.org).
IDAHO is also supported by
the European Association
for the Defence of Human
Rights (FIDH-AE), the
Coalition of African
Lesbians, the European
Green Party, the
International Gay and
Lesbian Human Rights
Commission (IGLHRC) and
the World Congress of
LGBT Jews (Keshet Gaava).
IDAHO is supported in
Argentina, Belgium, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Canada, China,
Colombia, Costa Rica,
Ecuador, France, Greece,
Hungary, India, Italy, Ivory
Coast, Jamaica, Kenya,
Korea, Latvia, Lithuania,
Malta, Mexico, Namibia,
Nepal, Nigeria, Poland,
Portugal, Romania,
Senegal, Slovenia, Spain,
Uganda, Ukraine, United
Kingdom, United States,
and Venezuela.
Asia
“Disasters do not recognize borders, ethnicities,
religions or sexual orientations”
by Patricia Curzi, ILGA Women’s Project Officer
Three months after the Tsunami disaster
To assist with the relief and rebuilding programs in Sri Lanka, one of
the worst affected countries in Asia, ILGA has set up a special account
to facilitate donations to Equal Ground, a Sri Lankan LGBT group. We
have asked Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, its Executive Director, if she
believes LGBT organizations should be involved in relief efforts and
how she personally went through these traumatic moments.
Looking back on this huge human disaster, can you describe
the impact on the population of your country? Do you think that
the LGBT community was affected in a particular way?
I don’t think words can adequately describe the impact this tsunami had
on our country. The lives lost, perhaps more than the twenty-year civil
war, has had a profound impact on all Sri Lanka’s citizens, who have
never experienced a disaster of this magnitude ever in their lives. We
were ill equipped to handle it, and we were completely blown away
with just the fact that this actually happened. The LGBT community is
mostly hidden in this country, so it is hard to say how it has actually
affected them. However, just like everyone else, I am sure they will
have a number of problems relating to grief and trauma, employment,
housing, sexual and other abuse in the camps – especially on lesbians
and bisexual women and transgender persons. We are hearing of many
abuses coming out of the relief camps, especially on women and also on
male to female transgenders as well.
Did civil society react differently from one community to
another? Do you feel that the LGBT community came together
in front of this tragedy?
Civil society actually has been the backbone of the relief efforts and
was the first on the scene. If not for this, the casualties would have
been higher; and health hazards would also have been higher. There
was no differentiation between ‘gay’ or ‘straight’ during this time. The
LGBT community has come together marvelously, and the outpouring
of love and support by the international LGBT community was
amazing. We are very grateful for that.
“I think we all are paving the way for new initiatives just by the way
we reacted as soon as the disaster struck.” says Rosanna FlamerCaldera, co-Secretary general of ILGA. Her organisation Equal Ground
assisted with a Montessori school, providing school materials to the
kids affected by the tsunami area.
What impact did the tsunami disaster have on your
organization, Equal Ground?
All of us at Equal Ground were profoundly moved by the disaster and
still are. We felt it was our duty and obligation to be involved in relief
and reconstruction. As a result, we have managed to get involved
with the Civil society Initiative for Relief and Reconstruction which
will help us in the long run of seeking legislative relief for our
community and lessen the social stigmas attached to being LGBT here.
The offshoot has also been that Equal Ground is now quite well known
in international circles as well as locally. This will have a positive
impact on our work in the future. It also created a huge workload
which is sometimes very difficult to cope with, but we have pulled
together as an organization and have managed to do the things we
have needed to do.
9 Campaigning
Asia
ILGA launched an appeal for donations about ten days after the
disaster, which is rather late in comparison to relief NGOs. In
spite of this we managed to collect 2500 Euros coming from
private individuals. How was this amount used?
We have used these funds to assist with a Montessori school in the
south, providing books and other school materials to the kids affected
by the tsunami in the area. We have also designated two other
communities that need
assistance – in the
northeast and the east
coasts. They will be
provided with livelihood
development – that is
buying tools and sewing
machines for carpenters
and seamstresses and so
on. We are also in the
process of analyzing the other long term needs of these communities,
as we feel it is foolish to rush and spend this money on things these
persons may be already getting or things they may not have use for.
Life is so fragile
isn’t it? The
tsunami made
this so clear…
Do you think that it is the role of a LGBT organization to
participate in such a relief effort ?
Of course it is. It goes without saying. Disasters do not recognize
borders or ethnicities or religions or sexual orientations, and it was
proved here. We need to also prove to the hetero-centric world that
we do not differentiate, do not discriminate when it comes to
providing relief for those affected and will never do so.
What do you think of the initiative of the only LGBT relief
oriented organization, “Rainbow World Fund”, in San Francisco?
Do you think that this is a one and unique experience or it is
paving the way for new initiatives in this direction?
I think we all are paving the way for new initiatives just by the way
we reacted as soon as the disaster struck. The fact that the Rainbow
Fund has been set up specifically to help in disasters and is an
ongoing thing is really superb. It will perhaps bridge the gaps
between the LGBT communities across the globe. Which is something
we desperately need these days, considering the enormous opposition
mounting against us. The US is experiencing this firsthand. If people
can now see the need to unite with the LGBT communities across the
world, we will have such a strong counter to the opposing forces. We
will be a force to be reckoned with.
Seen from the outside, the international mobilization for this
catastrophic event was huge. How was your perception and
the one of the local organizations on the spot?
It was enormous, and all of us here are grateful. However, it is now
increasingly frustrating to see useless items such as fleece jackets
and g-strings being shipped here to cloth our people. It is also
ILGA March 05 10
frustrating that smaller NGO’s and organizations such as ours have to
really beg for funds to do our work, whereas the bigger, established
international NGO’s have money flowing in like a river in spate, most
of which never get to the victims of the disaster but go towards
sustaining those NGO’s and paying for five-star hotel rooms and first
class air tickets. Add to that the government’s lack of trust of the
smaller NGO’s and the obstacles they have put in front of us, and we
have a huge task on our hands. As I said earlier, it was local NGO’s
and ordinary citizens that were on the spot when the disaster struck,
utilizing their own funds to buy provisions for the victims. The big
boys only came in a week and a half later.
Finally, on a more personal note, how do you come out from
this experience? What has changed for you, your family and
friends?
Life is so fragile, isn’t it? This was made so obvious by the tsunami.
We never thought we would be victims to a natural disaster of this
magnitude. It has shaken us to the core. The emotional toll on all of
us is great. Fortunately, I did not lose any family members, but I did
have my nephew caught up in it down south, and my cousin and her
family narrowly escaped in Phuket. It makes you value life a lot more,
and it makes me
more determined
to continue with
my activism and
our relief and
LGBT programs
here. Whatever
we can do to
help we will do.
We all still
mourn the deaths
of our fellow
citizens.
We ache for all
those who have
lost loved ones
and also their homes and all their belongings. I feel frustrated I can’t
do more than I am right now. I wish I could just load truckloads and
just take it to these people. I wish we had millions and millions of
euros to do just that!!! Well, we just have to make the most of what
we do have and what we can do with it.
You can still send your contributions to:
Fortis Bank, avenue Paul De Jaer, 2; B-1060 Brussels - Belgium.
Account: ILGA Equal Ground.
Contributions within Belgium: Account number 001-4478017-88
Contributions from outside Belgium: IBAN BE56001447801788
BIC GEBABEBB
Europe
"Marriage Request gets a lot of Reactions in
Moscow but only the Police were homophobic”
Gay.ru web staff evicted from their offices in the wake of an attempt to organize a same-sex marriage
On January 18th 2005, Ed Mishin, chief editor of Gay.ru and the Kvir (Queer) Magazine (right on the picture), and Edward Murzin,
an MP from the Bashkortostan Republic of Russia, publicly announced their intent to challenge Russian law that restricts marriage
to persons of the opposite sex. They applied for a marriage licence in Moscow. On the 19th, the Police came to the editorial office
of gay.ru and Kwir Magazine, which also serves as the headquarters of the gay rights organisation Together.
Just one day after your request to marry Edward Murzin in front
of the administration, the police had already raided your offices!
Did you expect such a violent reaction?
Absolutely not! It is difficult to believe this is a coincidence. It
happened the very next day Edward Murzin and I officially asked for
marriage. The police asked to enter our offices because they claimed
that we were disturbing our neighbours, but we realised later the
statement they showed us came from people who do not live in the
house. During their search they intimidated the staff and made
homophobic comments.
Where do you think the order for the raid came from? Local
officials or from higher circles?
I think it’s from the local administration, I don’t believe this kind of show
could come from higher officials: they wouldn’t be so clumsy as to send
the police the very next day. I think they would have been more subtil.
The policemen who came to our office did not hide the fact that they
knew about the marriage. They first accused us of using the flat for
pornography and sex work, then later backed down from those claims.
They now say they want us out for improper use of the flat.
Unfortunately, they are technically right: this is a city apartment and
should not be used as an office. We’re expected to move out in two to
three weeks.
Let’s talk about the marriage. Edward Murzin the man whom you
were to marry is not gay… who approached the other one first?
You, as a gay man or Mr.Murzin, a Human rights activist and
politician?
He approached me first (laughs)… we met one year ago when he had
made a request to change the law to allow same-sex marriage in the
state of Baskiria, which generated very strong opposition. We were
invited by a Moscow TV show called “Dual.” Then, half a year ago,
Edward contacted me for support. He had been trying unsuccessfully to
have the constitution revised to allow for same-sex marriage, but
explained to me that he needed to find a man to marry. I offered to
Edward Murzin and Ed Mishin applying for a marriage licence
in Moscow: “we only needed to get an official refusal from the
court to bring the case to a higher court”.
advertise it on our website. To my surprise, we got a lot of letters of
support - but not a single response. Then I said, if people are not ready
for this, I will do it myself.
So the LGBT community was not as supportive as you had
expected ? And what about civil society?
Some gay people told us that they thought we were starting too early,
that society is not ready for it yet. But, I think that if we wait for it to be
11 Campaigning
Europe
ready, we’ll probably have to wait forever! As for civil society, I can
honestly say the only homophobic reaction we got was from the police.
Recently, the radio show Echoes of Moscow organised a poll with its
audience, mainly people in their thirties and forties: 30% said they were
in favour of our action. I only expected 5 to 10%! Articles in the media
were not negative: they were neutral if not supportive for some of them.
This is very unusual. I guess it’s because we do not look like freaks.
Having a straight deputy and a gay activist created a lot of curiosity. We
got much more media coverage than we had expected - even though
that was not the purpose. We only needed to get an official refusal from
the court to bring our case to a higher court. The very next day we got
our refusal from the civilian register office, we have now appealed to
the local court. We think it will take several months before we get
another refusal from the local Moscow court. Then, we’ll take it to the
constitutional court and then maybe to the European Court for Human
rights in Strasbourg…
What about civil unions, wouldn’t they be more easily accepted
than marriage?
People would not understand the concept of civil union here in Russia.
Civil unions do not exist in this country, even for heterosexuals.
How can you claim that this is the first attempt for same-sex
marriage in Russia when another couple, Denis Gogolev and
Mikhail Morozov, already created quite a sensation in 2003
when they were married by a Russian Orthodox priest?
Our action is totally different. Theirs was a provocation… the whole
thing was quite counterproductive. The media presented it as two gays
lying to a priest who was later defrocked… There had been another
attempt, earlier, in ‘94 in the very same office where Murzin and I
registered this year. Activists then were not even able to get into the
office…
Do you have the impression the atmosphere under Putin is even
more reluctant towards LGBT rights than it used to be in 1993
when homosexuality was decriminalized?
I don’t think Putin does anything against LGBT rights, though I think he is
himself homophobic and so are the people around him… Lately we‘ve
asked a press distributor in Saint Petersburg to distribute our gay
magazine Queer. The company said they would ask their local retailers, I
told them this was the best way to block us: retailers sell straight porno
magazines, but they refused ours which is not porno at all. But it is more
of a sort of self-censorship than state censorship. Homophobia is
widespread in Russia, and it’s getting worse. There have always been
people getting beaten up close to gay discos. We used to have a few of
those cases every year, now it happens every month…
news from Belarus By Sementsov Svyatoslav / Vstrecha Gay Group. Feb. 4th 05.
"We have to show our society in the near future, what 'they' (the European Union and the United States) are doing
here, how they are trying to turn our girls into prostitutes, how they are feeding our citizens with illicit drugs, how
they are spreading sexual perversion here, which methods they are employing."
Aleksandr Lukasheko, President of Belarus in a meeting of the Belarusian Security Council.
Only two days after making this speech, a "non-official" gay-demonization campaign began in earnest here in
Belarus. The first step was the expulsion of a German embassy worker, being a foreign diplomat he could not be taken
into custody, but his Belarusian boyfriend was arrested on the false pretext of drug use. The story was commented on
at length on government-controlled national TV with a lot of homophobic rhetoric. It appears that the point of the
story was to link homosexuality and drug usage as evils coming from the European Union, the United States, and the
"West" in general. Another example of the campaign followed a week later when a diplomat from the Czech Republic
was expelled from the country. In an attempt to accuse the embassy worker of paedophilia, national TV showed
pictures of him in Minsk kissing other young men - who they claimed were boys younger than 14 years old. Of course
this was ridiculous - to the general public as well - because the "boys" they showed were obviously more around 20
years of age than 14. This I can attest myself, as I personally know many of the "boys" pictured.
Yet the biggest shock for me was to see my own face and pictures flashed across the evening news. After a
nice meal with my mother on a Sunday night in Gomel we sat down to watch TV. Following the story about the Czech
diplomat, they showed unofficial gay weddings taking place here in Gomel. To my surprise, the images they used
during the story were taken directly from my website, and featured me participating in the marriage ceremonies.
Besides the fact that that night I was outed to my mother and a few other friends who did not know that I am gay, the
fact that they used the articles and pictures from my website without my permission just demonstrates how clearly we
live in a state whose government doesn't respect the law.
ILGA March 05 12
ILGA-Europe - the European Region of the International Lesbian
and Gay Association was founded in 1996. It serves as an umbrella
organisation working at the European level for human rights and
against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.
ILGA-Europe is currently working on projects and your active support and involvement is crucial for successful implementation.
By Juris Lavrikovs. Communications & Information Officer for ILGA-Europe
Needs assessment
of transgender people in LGBT
organisations
Social Exclusion
an issue for LGB people
Family Project
ILGA-Europe is currently looking at the
multiple identities of transgender people who
identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual and for this
purpose we prepared two questionnaires. The
first questionnaire is for LGBT people and we
want to find out if they feel LGBT
organisations are meeting their needs. The
second questionnaire asks LGBT organisations
about what they are doing in relation to
transgender people in general and those who
identify as gay, lesbian and bisexual in
particular. We will publish a report presenting
the results in 2005.
Both questionnaires are available on our
website (www.ilga-europe.org) and your
participation is essential to the success of this
project. The approximate time expected to fill
this questionnaire is 10 minutes. All the
information will be only used for research
purposes and will be dealt with in a
confidential manner.
Questionnaire for organisations is available in
English, French, Dutch & Hungarian;
questionnaire for individuals is available in
English, French, Dutch, Hungarian & Polish.
Although there is a clear link between the
discrimination experienced by gay, lesbian,
and bisexual people and levels of poverty and
social exclusion, little attention has been paid
to this issue at EU level.
ILGA-Europe has been lobbying for the
recognition of LGBT families in the European
Union for some time.
ILGA-Europe hopes to raise awareness on how
discrimination impacts the levels of poverty
and exclusion amongst LGB people. We are
working on a report bringing together research
done already on the experience of social
exclusion of LGB people. We focus particularly
on how discrimination affects people’s lives
with regard to education and training, and
access to resources such as health care and
housing. Particular attention will be paid to
LGB youth and LGB older people. For this, we
need your help:
If you know of any questionnaires or research,
relevant case studies, aware of examples of
good practice in addressing social exclusion,
know of people that may be willing to share
their personal stories with ILGA-Europe, please
contact Birgit Hardt:[email protected]
or complete our forms on-line:
www.ilga-europe.org.
Currently, we are urgently seeking cases,
stories and photographs for a publication,
which will highlight the difficulties faced by
LGBT families who intend to move within the
European Union.
If you know of a case or cases where LGBT
family/partners have been impeded to move to
another country because their rights were not
recognised in the country where they wanted
to go or you have been stopped from living in a
country because your partner is a third country
national and your union was not recognised in
the country where you wanted to go, please
contact Christine Loudes: [email protected] or complete our forms on-line:
www.ilga-europe.org.
ILGA European conference in Paris: United in Diversity
ILGA-Europe’s conference is held every year in a different European city. After Budapest last fall, it will take place in Paris on 26-30
October. Its title will be “United in Diversity”, a sentence mentioned in the Draft constitution of the European Union. A preconference on Gay and Lesbian parenthood in Europe is co-organised by the APGL, “Association des Parents Gays et Lesbiens”,
the biggest LGBT group in France (www.apgl.asso.fr). It is expected that the delegates will be treated to a reception by the Paris
mayor. Further information at www.ilga-europe.org and www.ilgaeuropeparis2005.org.
13 Campaigning
America Latina y Caribe
The United Nations honours the Social and
Political efforts of Chilean group MOVILH
by Andrew Pilgrim, ILGA Membership Officer
UN recognition
Last month the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) chose four out of more than 80,000 non-profit organisations in Chile to be
recognized for their leadership and new strategies for the empowerment of civil society. ILGA member Movimiento de Intregración y Liberación
Homosexual (MOVILH) or “Movement for the Liberation and Integration of Homosexuals” was one of those four. The UNDP singled out MOVILH
for being the root of the “most emblematic and important actions and advances” for LGBT people.
The 5th UNDP report “Power, why and for whom?” was presented in the
first half of February to Chilean president Ricardo Lagos. In it, the UNDP
reports to President Lagos that the consolidation of MOVILH as a human
rights organisation can be understood as an awareness-raising process,
intended to generate the changes necessary to achieve equality for
sexual minorities. According to the report, MOVILH has achieved its
goals by, among other reasons, presenting homosexuality in way that
avoids the stereotypes, characterisations, and myths that have been
used to marginalize LGBT people and hinder their efforts for equality.
“According to the UN report,
MOVILH has achieved its
goals by presenting
homosexuality in way that
avoids stereotypes”
Detailing the ways in which MOVILH and the three other selected
organisations have participated in promoting civil society and expanding
its presence in Chile, the UNDP concludes that MOVILH’s success is in
large part due to its (a) desire to construct autonomous forums where
the interests of the LGBT community can come together and be
channelled, (b) its understanding of the necessity to build alliances with
the political establishment by negotiating and accepting compromises,
(c) becoming a reference point for the media on issues concerning
sexuality, (d) flexible strategies which adapt its approach to the
ILGA March 05 14
language and specificities of each situation, and (f) its president and
founder Rolando Jiménez, whose political experience has been a major
factor of the group’s success. The report does go on however to warn
that the personification of it actions in the person of Mr. Jiménez could
become a liability for the organisation in the long term.
The success of MOVILH has also been possible due to the profound
changes that have characterized Chile since the end of Augusto
Pinochet’s dictatorship in 1990. The UNDP report points out that the
return of democracy to Chile has opened up forums for political
discussion (the parliament and the state in general) and offers the
conditions and the basic guarantees necessary to defend sexual
minorities. The report adds that the support of certain Chilean political
actors as well as the opening up of the media has allowed the
MOVILH’s campaigns to produce results. Its presence in parliament, the
government, the courts, academic structures, and public forums, and
their diffusion to the general public through the media has been
fundamental to its success.
The UNDP underlines the indispensability of MOVILH’s efforts in three
main wins for the LGBT community in Chile, notably the removal of antisodomy laws from the criminal code, the introduction of a civil unions
bill in parliament, and Chile’s international support of the “Brazilian”
resolution.
Colombia : LGBT People Recognized as a “Social Group” within Colombia’s Liberal Party
In spite of strong resistance and infighting among the leadership of Colombia’s Partido Liberal, LGBT people
have won the right to have their own caucus within the Liberal Party. This historic event is a revolution in
Colombia’s political environment. For the very first time LGBT people will be able to openly participate as a
group in a major political party. This victory would not have been possible without the unwavering support of
Liberal senator and co-director of the Liberal Party Piedad Córdoba (picture). Mrs. Córdoba, who has been trying
to pass a civil unions bill for the last three years, stated after the decision “This is the political event of the year,
young LGBT people must change the course of this country, and give a lesson to those who see the rights of
sexual minorities as a danger to their archaic preconceptions of love and sexuality.”
Uruguay: Montevideo inaugurates the first-ever monument in Latin America to LGBT people
On February 2nd, Montevideo Mayor Mariano Arana celebrated the opening of the first-ever public space and
monument dedicated to LGBT people in Latin American history. The Plaza de la Diversidad Sexual or “Sexual
Diversity Plaza” is located in the historic center of town and is marked by a small inverted-triangle-shaped
plaque in pink granite on top of a concrete base. The plaque, engraved with the inscription “Honouring
Diversity is Honouring Life: Montevideo for the Respect of all Genders, Identities and Sexual Orientations,” is
the result of the work of numerous LGBT activists. Speaking at the ceremony, writer and activist Eduardo
Galeano (picture) tells the crowd “I want nothing more of this night than to remember the countless men and
women who where persecuted, burned, mutilated and killed, condemned for the crime of simply being
themselves, and to praise the numerous activists who have had the courage to publicly say ‘Yes we are
different, and so what?’”
Peru : On St. Valentine’s Day the Red of Love gelled with some Public Pink…
On February 14th in El Parque del Amor in Lima Peru more than two dozen gay, lesbian and transgender
couples got together with some 300 supporters to demonstrate their love through a very public kiss in front of
the assembled media. The event, under the theme “Love Doesn’t Discriminate,” was intended as a public
declaration that LGBT people have the right to express their affection for each other in public places without
fear of being victims of physical aggression or any sort of discrimination. Photo: Peruesgay.
by Andrew Pilgrim
15 Campaigning
Middle East
“The success of Helem has been dependent on
the community's readiness to become visible”
Waving the flag in Lebanon and in the Arab world
From the official registration of Helem as an association to the publication of the first ever LGBT magazine in the Arab world,
Ghassan Makarem tells us of the LGBT community’s coming out in Lebanon, how his association plans to work for the removal of
article 534 which prohibits “unnatural sexual intercourse,” and why it will not be present at the next world Pride in Jerusalem
Most media and organisations targeting the LGBT population in
the Middle East are based in the West. This has been the case
for Helem. Why choose Canada first?
Helem was actually founded in Lebanon in 2001. Many of the founders
were members of a group called Club Free, also based in Lebanon. It is a
coincidence that Helem was first
registered in Canada. Since many
members of Helem have in the past
either lived outside Lebanon or have had
to leave the country for various reasons,
mostly economic, we decided to start
"chapters" for the organization wherever
there is a substantial-sized group of
LGBT Lebanese or Arabs willing to do so.
These chapters are autonomous and,
therefore, went through registration
processes on their own. Today, we are
registered in Montreal, Paris, and Beirut,
and will apply for 501c.3 status through
our San Francisco Chapter.
have at least five members willing to give their names and supporting
documents to the Interior Ministry, where they could be subject to a
public investigation. Second, freedom of association is explicitly
guaranteed in the Lebanese constitution, so the government cannot
simply outlaw our organisation. Finally, two major legal decisions have
come down recently in Lebanon. The first
involves what constitutes a “secret society” – by
claiming that we were a secret society, the
government could have denied us registration.
Fortunately, the courts have ruled now that those
organisations that have been subject to open
media coverage cannot be deemed secret
societies. Since Helem has been covered in
three major Arabic newspapers as well as in
numerous French and English dailies, this
definition then could not be applied to us. The
second important ruling was a court decision in
favour of a human-rights organisation that had
sued the government for unconstitutionally
adding undue administrative roadblocks to its
registration. Although the Interior ministry has
not yet given us a registration number, the return
receipt is considered by many legal experts to be
proof of our registration. To this date, there have
been no attempts to investigate Helem or any of its founding members,
in spite of the fact that none of them have friends in higher places to
protect them.
“Our participation in
the Anti-War
demonstrations of
2003 was decisive.
It was the first time
that the rainbow flag
was flown in such an
action in an Arab
country.”
Lately though, you succeeded in
registering it with the Lebanese
authorities. Was it difficult to get
the organisation recognised in Beirut?
We had a few options when it came to officially registering Helem. The
best one appeared to be through the 1909 Ottoman-Turk law governing
associations and groups. Largely based on the French law of
associations of 1901, the law itself is extremely liberal, even compared
to association laws in some western countries. However, the Ministry
of the Interior has been putting up administrative obstacles to any group
trying to register a human-rights organisation. When deciding to register
Helem, there were three factors we considered. First, we needed to
ILGA March 05 16
Wasn’t visibility an issue?
Of course it was. The main issue is having an organization that is willing
to go public about LGBTIQ issues. In Lebanon, the laws and the political
situation have always allowed the creation of social groups and political
parties. It was just a matter of time. The particular problems usually
Members of Helem at the Beirut’s Anti-war demonstrations in 2003. “Helem's full participation in the anti-war on Iraq coalition, allowed us to be
in contact with the major political currents in Lebanon” says Ghassan Makarem. “Although they are all equally homophobic, they were forced to
deal with the issue in a political platform, raising the level of debate on the relationship between democracy and personal freedoms”.
created by "outside" intervention on social issues in Arab countries are
usually not much of a factor in this country, since it has been more open
to Western influence in the recent past. Moreover, even though Lebanon
is a religious country, the fact that it has 19 officially recognized
religious groups which are constantly fighting with each other allows for
more secularist approaches and organizations, albeit with slow impact.
So, what made you decide to register it now, was there any
specific motivating factor?
Our participation in the anti-war demonstrations of 2003 was decisive. It
was the first time to our knowledge that the rainbow flag was flown in
such an action in an Arab country. Helem's full participation in the antiwar on Iraq coalition, allowed us to be in contact with the major
political currents in the country, especially the left, Arab nationalists,
and Hezbollah. Although they are all equally homophobic, they were
forced to deal with the issue in a political platform, raising the level of
debate on the relationship between democracy and personal freedoms.
Other political currents, even those with a liberal slant and who are
supposedly active on human rights issues, have avoided contact with us.
Helem is organising a gay and lesbian film festival in Beirut. Do
you feel the administration is a bit more progressive or is the
LGBT movement now just ready to be proactive?
The film festival is scheduled for April. But judging from other public
events organized by Helem, the reaction has been mainly positive. Civil
society's support has been wavering. Although there has been no direct
negative feedback from local Human Rights and social NGOs, they are
still not willing to be involved directly with Helem, with the exception of
some organizations working on HIV prevention and the National AIDS
Prevention Program. Mediawise, we have had only two examples of
negative reporting, one in a defunct magazine, and the other in an ultraconservative Arabic newspaper. The success of Helem's activities had
been dependent on the community's readiness to become more and
more visible. This situation is improving, based on the membership of
Helem and the fact that when we started out with the registration
process a few months ago, only five people where willing to publicize
their involvement. In a very short period, the number increased to 18. In
addition, there are some semi-public figures who are now willing to
associate their names with the movement. This allowed us to consider
17 Campaigning
Middle East
the publication of the first LGBTIQ magazine in an Arab country. The first
issue will be out in a few weeks!
Does that mean Lebanon may finally abolish law 534 which
prohibits "unnatural sexual intercourse?” How is Helem
working on this?
Actually, the campaign to remove article 534
was one of the first initiatives of Helem in
2001. We helped establish a human rights
organization, Hurriyyat Khassa to lobby for
personal freedom issues in the criminal code.
The campaign began in 2001 when the draft
of the new penal code was leaked by a
member of parliament. The suggested
amendments
by
the
Parliamentary
Subcommittee on the Reform of the Penal
Code concerning article 534 and articles
related to women's sexuality were considered
by many as a major setback. This prompted Hurriyyat Khassa to start a
coalition calling for a conference on the issue, where Helem was very
visible. Around 20 local NGOs became involved, mostly human rights
and feminist organizations. The pressure of the campaign led to the
government's reconsideration of the new draft of the law. The process
was restarted, and the law was sent back to the parliamentary
subcommittee. Unfortunately, civil society representatives in the
subcommittee, the Lawyers' Order and a couple of women's
organizations, are rather homophobic. They were not willing to include
the removal of 534 in the demands. To our surprise, the subcommittee,
nonetheless, proposed to remove the article along with some laws on
adultery and a law that gives amnesty to rapists if they agree to marry
the victim. We are still waiting to see what will happen when the
proposals reach the Judiciary Committee of the
Lebanese Parliament. To date, our attempts to contact
a member of parliament who is also a president of one
of the most established human rights organizations in
the country have failed.
“The great
majority of
judges would
throw out a case
based solely on
article 534”
When will the law be discussed?
Time is still on our side, since the law will reach the
committee after the next Parliamentary elections (April
2005), thus postponing the reform for many months.
Our current strategy is to try to work with the Judiciary
Committee not to overrule the suggestion of the
subcommittee, because there is a big possibility that
when the new proposal for the penal code reaches the stage for a
parliamentary vote, there might not be any discussion, since all the
deals and arm-twisting happen in the committees. I need to mention
that the code itself is rarely used. The great majority of judges consider
it to be outdated and would throw out a case based solely on 534.
Unfortunately, it is usually used when connected to another "crime",
such as prostitution, drug use, or "public indecency".
Will Helem be in Jerusalem for the world Pride?
Helem will not be at Jerusalem for the next world pride for two reasons:
A state of war still exists between Israel and Lebanon (I write this while Sharon is
threatening to bomb us). Participation in such an event is considered high treason by the
Lebanese State. Secondly, there is a fear that the Israeli government will use the
opportunity to claim that, by being open-minded about LGBT issues, this might excuse its
daily massacres of Palestinians and its apartheid style treatment of its Arab and more
generally that of its citizens of non-European origin. This issue becomes more relevant
considering the reactionary and islamophobic attitude of some groups in the global
movement, especially from the West. There is a major concern that this opportunity will
be used as another excuse to vilify Muslims and Arabs and even to try to de-link LGBTIQ
rights from other fundamental human rights by right-wing LGBTIQ organizations. I should
add that this is not a judgment against the work of LGBTIQ organizations in Israel. I know
that they do not discriminate against Arabs and are actually playing a positive role in
bringing the Jewish and non-Jewish communities together on a common issue, thus
building a sound foundation for the resolution of the political conflict.
ILGA March 05 18
“There is a major
concern that this
opportunity will be
used as another
excuse to vilify
Muslims and
Arabs”
North America
“In Canada, Equal Marriage is the biggest
fight since decriminalization in 1969”
J’épouse l’égalité! Wedded to the cause of equality!
Since June 10, 2003, when Ontario made equal marriage by same-sex couples immediate in Canada's largest province, Canada has been running
fast on the road towards same-sex marriage. Eight out or the ten provinces that make up Canada adopted legislation to allow equal marriage.
LGBT associations are now in the final run as the law might become national before the Summer, just in time for the Pride march, hopes Gilles
Marchidon from Egale Canada.
What will happen exactly on June 28th?
Canada's Minister of Justice has expressed a desire to see
the Civil Marriage Act adopted by Parliament before it
recesses for the Summer. Canada's Parliament, keep in mind,
includes both the House of Commons and the Senate. The
House will sit until June 9 for sure, possibly until June 23,
whereas the Senate until June 30. The Civil Marriage Act has
already gone through First Reading, a formality whereby the
bill is received by Parliament. Second Reading debate is
taking place on February 16. It is difficult to know how long it
will be debated by the House, including by Legislative
Committee, before it moves to the Senate. After the Senate
approves a bill, it then receives Royal Assent, making it law. I,
too, hope that we'll be celebrating Equal Marriage across the
country by the time Pride season hits its stride at the end of
June. It would be especially wonderful if all same-sex
couples across Canada could legally marry when my partner
and I wed on August 20th this Summer.
Heather Gass and Lisa Lachance – a board member from Egale Canada, married
last Summer and have adopted a little boy.
Canada seems to be another good example of how easier it
seems for states with strong political regions to accept
marriage… one, two, three regions accept it, thereby forcing the
Parliament to recognize it all across the country. How long has
same-sex marriage been on the table in Canada?
Egale first iniated legal proceedings in the Court of British Columbia
(B.C.), one of the larger provinces, back in 2000. The first positive court
decision was the B.C. Court of Appeal decision in May, 2003; but it was
the Ontario Court of Appeal decision the following month that made
equal marriage by same-sex couples immediate in Canada's largest
province. Over the course of the following year and a half, it was like
dominoes that fell, one by one, pushed forward by litigation, of course.
Beyond the litigation, however, there are others "firsts." The first same-
sex marriage celebrated - but never recognized by the state - took place
31 years ago. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg followed
the tradition of reading of the banns and married Chris Vogel and
Richard North in February, 1974. You can imagine the political storm that
unleashed. That was before the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms, though. The first legally-recognized marriage in the world
was the dual wedding of Kevin Bourassa with Joe Varnell, and Elaine
and Ann Vautour, by the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto. It
took place in January, 2001, according to the reading of the banns, but
was only legally and retroactively recognized by the June, 2003, Ontario
Court of Appeal decision.
19 Campaigning
North America
Bob and Lloyd Peacock married last summer. They were one of the
litigant couples in Egale's British Columbia case in 2003.
Same-sex couples can marry in most Canadian states. How
important is country-wide legislation?
While 87% of Canada's population lives in one of the eight jurisdictions
where same-sex marriage is legally recognized as of February 2005, it is
important that federal Parliamentarians accomplish two other things by
adopting the Civil Marriage Act. First, they eliminate the legal
patchwork by ensuring that ALL 100% of Canadians
are equal before the law. Secondly, they
demonstrate that the people's representatives
support the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, that
they are "wedded to the cause of equality". We
don't want a few elected officials to say that this
was something imposed by the Courts. Equal
marriage should be a right upheld by our elected
representatives, too.
The Bishop from Calgary compared same-sex relationship with
pornography and prostitution, calling them all “evil”, be they
perfomed publicly or privately. Is it still politically rewarding in
Canada to publicly make homophobic statements?
No, I don't believe it is. While perhaps a handfull of politicians have
gained political capital by expressing homophobic views, the great
majority of those who have lost credibility and support. At the
moment, the scandal-plagued federal Liberals should be very low in
the polls, to the benefit of the opposition Conservative Party. Because
the latter have led a targeted campaign against same-sex marriage,
however, their support has dropped. Negative campaigning,
particularly against a minority, is viewed as being very un-Canadian.
During last June's federal election, the Liberals were losing ground
and came close to losing. The anti-human rights and anti-same-sex
marriage stance of the Conservatives played against them and is
credited with saving the Liberals.
According to a recent poll, 54% of Canadians agree with the
change of law, 43% opposing it. Would you say Canadians,
religious and not, were ready for same-sex marriage?
Absolutely. While there are still some people who are uncomfortable
with it, the fact remains that a growing number have no problem with
same-sex marriage. A huge majority of people under 45 years of age, as
well as women and residents of the larger provinces, support equal
“We always maintained that a
"separate but equal" regime was not
equality at all.
It was segregation”.
Did you consider the road to same sex civil unions?
While we were pleased when various provinces enacted some form of
civil unions or registered domestic partnerships, we always maintained
that a "separate but equal" regime was not equality at all. It was
segregation. Furthermore, in the Canadian context, a federal civil union
is not possible, because according to the Constitution, such regimes are
of provincial jurisdiction. Most importantly, though, there is no legal - or
moral, in our view - reason why same-sex couples should not be able to
access the same institution as their fellow citizens.
Will it give the same exact rights of heterosexual marriage?
Adoption included?
Adoption is an entirely separate issue. Already, same-sex couples in
most Canadian jurisdictions can adopt. As for the rights and
responsibilities of marriage, they are the same for same-sex couples as
they are for opposite sex spouses.
ILGA March 05 20
marriage. As the debate continues, people are becoming more
knowledgeable of the issue, too. This helps our cause. Also, after close
to two years of equal marriage, people see that the sky isn't falling and
there are no reasons to be concerned. This has probably been the
biggest fight of our movement since the 1969 decriminalization of
homosexuality. The religious right mobilized like never before, because
it felt threatened. It realized that civil marriage represents the last
bastion of heterosexual priviledge. Fortunately, we have the support of
many allies, such as progressive faith communities and religions, large
unions, the Canadian Psychological Association, the legal profession
and the ordinary, mainstream, open-minded citizen.
How US Conservatives tried to slip into their
neighbour’s bed and failed because of their accent!
Did you get any support from the US LGBT community?
Initially, yes, although mostly from some leaders and not
from the community at large. While certain leaders have
seen the importance of encouraging developments here
in Canada, as a strategy to act as a magnet for social
change in the US, I get the impression that the general
LGBT US community has not paid much attention. In a
sense, who can blame them? American LGBT people
face immense problems with an unsympathetic
president, a sometimes hostile electorate and a very
conservative society.
How active were US-based organisations to counter
the change of law in Canada?
Gilles Marchidon and Gord (on the right): “It would be especially
wonderful if all same-sex couples across Canada could legally marry as
my partner and I wed on August 20th this Summer”.
The campaign was spearheaded by James Dobson, a
well-known American evangelical leader with close ties
to George W. Bush. Dobson's organization, Focus on the
Family, has a chapter in Canada. Among other things,
they paid for a broadcast on more than 130 Canadian radio stations urging Canadians to
oppose same-sex marriage. Focus on the Family also paid for several newspaper ads
across the country. The US Knights of Columbus, a
Catholic group, funded the production and distribution
“The campaign
of thousands of post-cards in Canada, encouraging
people to send them in to their Member of Parliament
against same-sex
(MP). When some MPs started receiving calls from
marriage in
people with distinctly American accents, though, the
whole thing unravelled. There is great discomfort in
Canada was led by
Canada with US intervention in domestic affairs.
Does President Bush’s State of the Union address in
favour of a constitutional amendment to ban same
sex marriage inspire you?
an American
evangelical leader
with close ties to
George W. Bush”
President Bush is basically waging a war on the LGBT
community and anyone who supports equality.
Instead of deploying missiles, he is using the artillery
of a constitutional amendment. I think Bush needed
another war because the other two, in Iraq and against economic decline, are not going
very well. It is shameful, and history will judge him accordingly.
21 Campaigning
ILGA Files
How long will Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender rights be ignored at the UN?
by Stephen Barris, ILGA Communication Officer
August 6th 1992. For the first time ever, homosexuality is openly discussed in the United Nations. The speech given in the name of Human Rights
Advocates and ILGA by Professor Douglas Sanders decries the absolute absence of Lesbian and Gay rights issues in the human rights work of the
UN. 11 years later, in March 2003, to general surprise, Brazil introduces a resolution on sexual orientation at the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights in Geneva (UNCHR). As the resolution was never allowed to be debated on the floor of Geneva’s Palais des Nations, the Swiss city
is likely to become an annual spring rendez vous for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.
When the resolution was introduced in 2003, ILGA naturally praised it as a
historic move and organized an international campaign to support it in
acccordance with its members’s decision at the 22nd ILGA world
conference in Manilla. ILGA Members also decided that the association
will campaign for the inclusion of gender identity in the resolution. The
campaign, which a specific website - www.brazilianresolution.com - was
set up for, culminated in 2004 with the handing of a petition of 45,000
signatures to the Chairman of the UNCHR, including those of almost a
thousand LGBT associations and other civil NGOs supporting the resolution.
UNCHR, and liaised with national delegations. Thanks to an invitation by
Minister Sergio Cerda, head of the Argentinean delegation to the UN, a
group of activists led by ILGA had the opportunity to express their
concerns on human rights violations on the grounds of sexual orientation
and gender identity to the GRULAC, the UN Latin American and Caribbean
group.
Fears that Brazil will not push for a debate on the resolution in 2005 have
been building throughout the year. An “International dialogue on sexual
orientation and human rights” convened
A solid block of countries, under pressure
The next ILGA World conference will be by Arc International and the Liu Institute
gathered 60 activists in Geneva in
from the Organisation of Islamic
Conferences and the Vatican opposed the held during the UNCHR’s 2006 session. December 2004. During the discussions a
general consensus was formed and called
passing of the text at the UNCHR in 2003.
The theme “UNited we stand” is just
for the implementation of a much broader
In 2004, realizing that the resolution still
strategy that would use several different
did not have sufficient support to ensure
another example of ILGA’s
approaches to replace the previous
passage, Brazil decided to postpone
discussion until 2005.
commitment to the full recognition of reliance on a successful vote on the
Brazilian Resolution. The different
Though the resolution has never been LGBT rights as human rights by the UN elements of this strategy are:
- Building a stronger basis for LGBT rights
debated at the UN, it has created a unique
opportunity for LGBT organisations to come together around a common within international human rights law by sending information to all the
goal. In 2004, the joint efforts of LGBT and Human Rights NGOs (Arc existing UN human rights bodies such as the Human Rights Committee
International, IGLHRC, Human Rights Watch to name but a few) resulted in and other treaty bodies and special rapporteurs;
the biggest ever LGBT presence in the history of the United Nations with - Working towards a cross-regional resolution or resolutions on sexual
close to 40 activists from all parts of the world. ILGA participated in this orientation and gender identity in 2006;
collective effort inviting a dozen activists to Geneva. These activists, all - Building on the success of the Resolution on Arbitrary, Summary and Extrastrongly committed to the struggle for equal rights in their respective judicial Executions last year. Passed with an increased majority in the 60th
countries gave speeches, participated in panels during and within the UNCHR Session, it mentions sexual orientation as a ground for protection;
ILGA March 05 22
- Starting a campaign to counter the use of religion by different
fundamentalist groups (Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu etc.) that target
LGBT people.
All of these UN-related works reaffirm the necessity of our continued
presence during the coming sessions of the UNCHR. Even though the
resolution might not be presented this year, ILGA will try to build on the
work initiated in previous years to ensure that the issue of sexual diversity
and gender identity remains a focus of discussion. Contacts with a series
of donors should allow ILGA to organize a team of activists to be present
during the first two weeks of April. ILGA will also hold its World Board
meeting in Geneva during the same period. It is likely that a similar
delegation than to the one ILGA brought in 2004 will be able to participate
in our lobbying efforts at the UN, making statements to the UNCHR
plenary sessions and lobbying their national delegations.
Though it is difficult to say what will happen during the next session of the
Commission on Human Rights, one thing is clear: the Brazilian resolution
has been a singular opportunity to put LGBT rights back where they
belong, on the international human rights agenda. Unfortunately,
discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity
remain to this day the only grounds for discrimination not specifically
addressed by a UN Resolution. Our work at the UN therefore needs to be
seen as a long term strategy: beyond our presence in 2005, the next ILGA
World conference will be held in Geneva in spring 2006. Its title “UNited
we stand” is a clear statement of the growing importance we give to the
recognition of the LGBT community and its rights by the United Nations.
The conference which will take place during the 62nd session of the
UNCHR will be another example of our commitment to this work.
Next April at the UNCHR
ILGA is also working on
organising panels to be held
session, ILGA will be
during and within the UNCHR.
dedicating panels to four Thanks to an invitation by the
ICJ, the Intl. Commission of
Jurists, ILGA will co-sponsor
key issues:
a panel on Human Rights
Gender identity, multiple violations on the grounds of
discrimination suffered sexual orientation and gender
identity. Days following this
first initiative, ILGA plans to
by lesbian women,
hold three panels which will
religion and
address what we feel are key
issues:
discrimination in the
- Explaining why gender
identity must be included in
workplace
order to protect transgender
individuals;
- The relationship between homosexuality and religion, with particular
attention paid to the situation of LGBT people living in non-secular states
(notably Muslim countries)
- Addressing the issue of discrimination in the workplace and highlighting
the positive role of international trade unions. In this year of the 60th
commemoration of the liberation of concentration camps, ILGA will also
try to bring attention to the fate of gays and lesbians under the Third
Reich.
Even though the resolution might not be
presented this year, ILGA will try to build on
the work initiated the previous years to ensure
the topic of sexual diversity and gender
identity remains visible at the UN.
23 Campaigning
ILGA Files
“To our knowledge, I am the first homosexual
to speak openly in any United Nations human
rights body”
To fully understand the journey LGBT rights have made since homosexuality was first mentioned in the United Nations, ILGA talks with the man
who gave the first speech. Professor Douglas Sander gives us his views on the Brazilian resolution and comments on possible ways to best
handle the situation to our benefit.
Tell us about your statement to the UN in 1992. How did it come
about?
ILGA had already applied for NGO ‘consultative status’ to allow it to
attend UN human rights meetings and been refused. I knew the UN
system from work with the World Council of Indigenous Peoples. I was
on my way to Geneva for the annual sessions of the UN human rights
sub-commission when I attended the 1992 ILGA world conference in
Paris. I proposed trying to make a statement in Geneva in the name of
ILGA. ILGA said ‘give it a try.’
“Brazil handled the resolution badly, but its
actions made the split between most western
states and Muslim and developping states
more apparent.”
Were there problems?
It took a bit of work. In the end I was able to speak in the name of ILGA
and Human Rights Advocates, an accredited NGO based in San
Francisco. A published article on the 1992 session said that my
statement was greeted by “open hostility” on the part of certain
members of the Sub-Commission. One member of the Sub-Commission
questioned Human Rights Advocates as to whether I was really a
member of the group. They said I was. I had paid my membership dues
the day before.
Did attitudes change at the UN?
It has been impossible to get any resolution passed at a UN human
ILGA March 05 24
rights meeting that said anything positive on issues of sexual and
gender diversity. But gradually change has taken place in some of the
treaty bodies and in the work of some of the special rapporteurs. We
won the Toonen case in 1994 and the Young case in 2003. At the
Beijing Women’s Conference in 1995, in the final session of the drafting
committee, 33 countries supported including some good language in the
Platform of Action and only 20 opposed. But that was not good enough
in the diplomatic world of the UN for us to win that time around.
Tell us about the Brazilian resolution.
All the ILGA statements at the UN had asked for a study on the issue of
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. This has been the
usual way in which new subjects are handled at the UN – first do a
study – then move to resolutions and declarations. Brazil surprised all
of us by moving immediately to a resolution – a conclusion before any
study. This jump ahead
was done without
rounding up supporters
in advance or giving the
usual kind of notice to
other members of the
Commission.
The
Brazilian
diplomats
were well-intentioned
amateurs. It seems they
expected to be able to get the resolution through without any problems.
Why Brazil?
Former President Cardozo was personally committed to GLBT rights. He
honored Luis Mott, the pioneer Brazilian activist. His government
initiated the work on “Brasil Sem Homofobia,” the best governmentsponsored public education campaign in the world. The diplomats who
initiated the Brazilian
resolution were reflecting
what
had
become
Brazilian
government
policy.
But the government had
changed, and President
Lula has worked hard to
stimulate investment from
the Gulf States and to be a
leader of developing
countries in the World
Trade Organization. That has taken precedence over the initiative on
GLBT rights.
Has Brazil harmed our cause?
No, no, no, no, no. The opposition has been there for years. The split
between most Western States, on the one hand, and the combination
of Muslim and developing states, on the other hand, has been there for
“ Christianity changed over the last forty years
from uniform hostility to a divided voice. Islam
will move in the same direction.”
years. Brazil handled the resolution badly, but Brazil’s actions have
made the split more visible, more obvious. Foreign ministries have had
to think about the issue and be prepared to speak. The majority will
either say nothing or be unfriendly. But maybe we will find we are
developing some friends outside the Western bloc. We have never
gained anything by being invisible. If it had not been for Brazil, we
would never have had 40 activists in Geneva in 2004.
How can we counter the opposition?
Much of the opposition is said to be based on religion, particularly on
Islam. We need to get as many religious voices as possible on our side.
Christianity changed over the last forty years from uniform hostility to a
divided voice. Islam will move in the same direction. Much of the
opposition still assumes that homosexuality is unnatural, a perversion,
a medical problem. We should see if the World Health Organization is
prepared to follow up on their earlier work and speak on the health
consequences of homophobia. That would help a lot. And of course,
most important, we need out activists at UN meetings and out
diplomats in national delegations.
Join our lobbying efforts
From the information we have received, it seems that
the following countries will be addressing the Highlevel segment of the Commission on Human Rights.
We therefore invite LGBT groups to lobby their
respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs so that the
delegates addressing the High-Level Segment mention
sexual orientation and gender identity in their
speeches. Ministers talking about the need to tackle
human rights violations on grounds of sexual
orientation and gender identity will give prominence
to the issue and are a strong political signal to the rest
of the countries participating at the UNCHR.
Luxembourg - Switzerland - Belgium - Costa Rica Austria - France - Finland - Slovenia - Mexico - The
Netherlands - Australia - Denmark - Uruguay Argentina - Sweden - Estonia - Latvia - South Africa Croatia - Paraguay - Germany - Norway - Brazil
Information facilitated by Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui
/ International Commission of Jurists
More information
on the resolution can be found at
www.brazilianresolution.com
including the original speech given by D. Sanders at the UN in 92
25 Campaigning
Focus
Lesbians under the III Reich:
Be Invisible or Perish
by Edna Castello / 360° Magazine
This year, a large part of Europe is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the liberation from Nazi occupation. For this occasion many
new books, analyses, and biographies are being published to keep the memory alive. However, one page of the history of this dark
period remains untold, that of the lot reserved for lesbian women in 1933-1945 Germany. Some have even gone so far as to suggest
that lesbians were actually non-victims of the Nazi regime. These assertions appear absurd when one takes into account the fact
that homosexuality was considered a defect by national-socialist ideology and that any woman who did not keep up her traditional
duties to get married and have children to perpetuate the pure Aryan race was suspect. The absence of concrete documents,
letters, and public testimony constitutes a serious challenge for those looking to spread some light on the subject. Almost alone in
this task is German researcher Claudia Schoppmann (1). Due to the lack of written history, she has had to resort to individual
testimony to put together the story together and keep the memory alive.
One of her books “Zeit der Maskierung: Lebensgeschichten lesbischer
Frauen im Dritten Reich” (Days of Masquerade: Life Stories of Lesbians
in the Third Reich) (2) is a poignant collection of narrations that tells of
the repression suffered by lesbian women under Hitler. These stories
tell of an effervescent and euphoric lesbian atmosphere in 1920’s Berlin,
the city is home to an impressive number of bars, clubs, associations
and magazines directed towards lesbians. In spite of this, this vivacity
faces virulent lesbophobic attacks. From 1909 onwards, the government
would try to have women included in the infamous paragraph 175 which
criminalized homosexual activity between men. Later, and throughout
the years, Nazi law professionals, criminologists, and theorists keep the
pressure on to have women included in paragraph 175. For these
ideologists, lesbianism is a threat to racial purity and a manner taking
women away from men and disassociates them from the institution of
marriage.
Germany certainly would not be inline with their concept of a “pure
master race.”
However for a few different reasons lesbianism will never be included in
paragraph 175. First, in the German society of the time, women are
excluded from important political and administrative positions; their
influence is not therefore feared. Second, according to late XIX century
medical reports, female homosexuality is not necessarily contrary to the
desire to marry and raise a family. This last theory comforted Nazi
ideology which held that homosexuality is a disease which can be
treated and the idea that innate homosexuality might be widespread in
The lesbian community was hit hard by Hitler’s accession to the
chancellery in 1933. Raids in lesbian and gay bars became so frequent
that they all closed quickly one after the other. In Berlin only a few
clandestine bars – hidden in the backrooms – would survive. The
lesbian press was forbidden, associations disbanded and personal
testimonies prove that Nazis kept lists of lesbian women. Numerous
personal accounts assembled by Mrs. Schoppmann show that lesbians
lived under constant fear of being denounced to the authorities or being
ILGA March 05 26
Finally, “intimate” relations between women are an everyday matter,
identifying which ones of them are also of a sexual nature would simply
be too hard. It was therefore considered that the best way to avoid the
spreading of the “epidemic” was to keep it silent and suppressed. It
was because of this that lesbians would escape the fate of gay men
under the Nazi regime: 50 thousand of them would be convicted under
paragraph 175, and among them 15,000 sent to concentration camps,
two-thirds of whom would never come back. However the silence
surrounding lesbian issues of this era do not allow us calculate to what
extent they were persecuted nor to disavow their suffering.
Raids in lesbian bars
fired from their jobs.
Most of the women
interviewed said that they adopted a more
“feminine” appearance to avoid suspicion and adapt
themselves to the Nazi ideal. Social pressure was
such that many of them decided to get married, some
with homosexual men. In the end, the only way to
avoid persecution as a lesbian was to conform
oneself, and give up being a lesbian.
It is now known that many lesbians were however,
arrested, imprisoned and sent to concentration
camps. We can read in Zeit der Maskierung the story
of Lotte Hahm, one of the most important lesbian
activists in Berlin who was arrested before the war
and sent to a work camp for many years due to her
association with numerous lesbian clubs and
organisations. The presence of certain areas blocked
off for lesbians is evident in camps like Bützow,
where lesbians were badly treated and humiliated.
The SS often encouraged the other prisoners to rape
them. In the women’s camp of Ravensbrück, lesbians
were branded with a pink triangle with initials “LL”
for Lesbische Liebe or Lesbian Love (3). But most
often, lesbians were bearers of the red triangle used
to identify “asocial” prisoners. This term was used to
designate all those who did not fit into the norms,
including homeless people, the unemployed,
prostitutes, homosexuals, and the Roma.
Forced into prostitution
Mrs. Schoppmann also brings us the testimony of a
gay man (4), Erich H, who meets Else (her last name
is unknown) in a concentration camp. She had
worked in Potsdam as a waitress and lived with her
lover. She was taken away by the police because of
her homosexuality, but was registered at Ravensbrück
as an “asocial.” She would later be transferred to the
Flossenbürg camp where the majority of prisoners
were “asocial” men or criminals. They would meet in
the camp brothel in 1943.
> Text follows on page 30
Ever since 1994, the “Monument to the Persecution of Homosexuals” in Frankfurt/Main
(Germany) stands in remembrance of the homosexual men and women who were
persecuted by the Nazis. On the initiative of six gay men, the first monument of its kind
in Germany was publicly inaugurated on December 11, 1994 in the city’s Paulskirche. The
core of the monument is Rosemarie Trockel’s “injured” angel. As a cast of a 19th century
bronze sculpture the angel cites history; time has left its mark on it. Only at second
glance does the viewer discern what Trockel herself has changed: the head was broken
off, turned to one side and then placed back on so that a noticeable scar remains. As an
androgynous being, the injured angel stands as a symbol for “being different”, and
likewise as a symbol of the violence which homosexuals faced during the Third Reich.
More info on www.frankfurter-engel.de. Pictures by IMH / Axel Schneider.
27 Campaigning
Headquarters
Thank You Tom! by Rafael Jiménez-Aybar / Zero
Tom Hoemig, “an American in Brussels” dedicated the last eight years to ILGA before he retired
at the end of 2004. Born in 1933 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Tom decided to leave that heavily
conservative area for the more liberal San Francisco, where he met his partner Henri, a
Frenchman from Paris. When in 1965 Henri’s employer decided to transfer him to Brussels, Tom
didn’t think twice; he packed up his bags and headed off across the Atlantic. Henri passed away
in 1998, but Tom has stayed in Europe and, not exactly knowing how, ended up managing the
ILGA office by himself for quite a time...
How did everything start out for you?
In 1987 the English-speaking Gay Group (EGG) was created; in 1989 I
was asked to organize the monthly meetings of the group, and I said
yes. This was my first mistake. I made my second one in 1995 when I
agreed to help organise the first Belgian gay pride parade in Brussels.
At this same time, one of the organisers of the parade asked me if I
would be willing to help out the administrator in the ILGA office. The
administrator left the organisation in 1996, but not before asking me if I
wouldn’t mind handling the email
as well. At the time he said, don’t
worry, there’s not a whole lot of it;
just check it two or three times a
week, and that’s okay. Well, I
couldn’t say no to such a small
thing. This was my last and fatal
error. By the end of 1996 everyone
had opened up an email account;
and an 8-hour day simply was not enough to handle it all… and that’s
how I got all wrapped into ILGA with no way out!
you would normally expect. In the era when buying flowers for friends’
funerals was a regular monthly expense, many people that I knew
ended up leaving the city.
That was a long time ago...
And there have been surprises since! I used to think that I would never
live to see gay marriage, but in Europe here they are. But at the same
time, when we arrived on the old continent in 1965, the US was light
years ahead in the gay rights
movement. Here there were
hardly any associations. In the
sixties, we went to a meeting
that we had heard about at the
Centre Culturel et des Loisirs, a
sort of clandestine knitting club.
BORING. At that time everybody
was expecting that gay rights
would come from America to Europe, but it didn’t turn out that way.
“I used to think that I
would never live to see
gay marriage...”
So in 1965 you left San Francisco to live in Brussels?
Yeah, I know, I know, I must have been crazy. I mean, even before the
Harvey Milk and Stonewall era, San Francisco was already a very liberal
city. For example, in the bank where I was working, everyone knew that
I was gay, but nobody ever said anything. But when Henri’s company
sent him to work in Brussels, I didn’t think twice about it; and for this I
went 16 years without setting my eyes on San Francisco. Sometimes I
regret it, but it might be because I left that I am still here to talk about it.
The Castro area of San Francisco was completely devastated by the
AIDS epidemic; there are a lot fewer gay people there of my age than
ILGA March 05 28
It doesn’t appear that you were very interested in political
activism at the time.
No, and not much today either for myself. I don’t really see myself as a
“gay activist”, but more as a sort of “gay administrator” if you will. But I
did see the light; and I can assure you that in the last eight years here
with ILGA I have expunged all my guilt (laughs). No, seriously, luckily I
got involved in the cause early. When you think of all that is left to do,
everybody needs to get on board.
So you think the gay rights movement has a lot left to do.
Homosexuality is tolerated in only a handful of countries; and even
there, the best we can say is “tolerated.” We are still a long way away
from being accepted. In Europe there is still so much left to do: civil
rights, the fight against workplace discrimination, etc. It’s about being
accepted and not simply tolerated! In the US, the gay rights movement
has a lot of work cut out for them, especially with Bush’s promise to
amend the constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Personally, I think it
was just a trick the Republicans played to win the elections. I can not
imagine how the Congress could
accept it; it would be the first time
that the constitution would be
amended to restrict rights and not
increase them.
So what does ILGA really do then?
At the risk of over-simplifying, you
could say that ILGA acts as a platform
for international solidarity with LGBT
movements worldwide. ILGA is, since
1978, the only international federation
of LGBT associations. It is a platform
for international solidarity supported
financially by fees from its member
associations and individuals and by
outside funders. Our principal funders
are foundations from the Netherlands
who get much of their money from the
state. The European Union also helps
us out with financing through funding
specific projects. But the sad truth is
that we have very few LGBT member
groups from the United States. When
an American LGBT organization comes to us, the first question they ask
is “what’s in it for us?” It’s sad; there are a lot of foundations in the
States with lots of money, but they are very reticent to spend even a
penny outside of the US. I know of cases where individuals have given
millions of dollars to build a gay community center in their town, but
they won’t give us a penny. American businesses press to sponsor
associations and pride parades, but only locally, where somebody who’s
walking by can see the plaque thanking them for their support. And with
all the things that need to be done at the world level!
So the world LGBT movement really doesn’t owe anything to the
movement in the US?
Americans are raised with a different philosophy than Europeans, the
famous individual responsibility: if you want something to happen, you
do it yourself. In itself, this is a good atmosphere for activism; but
unfortunately, they really are not conscious of the world outside of the
US. Europeans generally wait for everything to be done by the state, but
they know that the world doesn’t end at the
EU borders. It’s because of this that US
LGBT groups are better organised and
better funded, though for the moment
European groups have had more success
fighting for their rights. I wouldn’t say that
it serves them right for being so arrogant,
but…
And now you are retiring…
Yes, and after more than eight years as
ILGA’s administrator. I’ll stay in Europe
though, as the quality of life here is much
better for senior citizens, especially for
homosexuals. In the US, homosexual
couples are not often allowed into nursing
homes as couples; although for the
moment I’d say that there’s more
awareness of older LGBT people in the
States than there is here in Europe. Here I
have never seen any advertisements for
retirement plans for gay couples, though
the quality of life for an elderly person in a
European city is better than that of an
American city, even if you never step foot into a discotheque on a Friday
night. But, well, you never know. I never put much faith in Internet
cruising; but about three years ago I did meet another guy there. He’s
rather younger than I; and since then we’ve been seeing each other
regularly. And to think that I had been a widower for more than three
years…
Copyright Zero www.zero-web.com
29 Campaigning
Focus
Text follows from page 27 >The Nazis set up brothels in a large
number of camps in 1942; it was believed that this was a good way to
increase the efficiency of the forced labourers in the armament industry.
According to Schoppmann, Himmler considered that the brothels might
be a good way to “cure” gay
men. A large number of
“The Nazis
women prisoners would be
forced to work as prostitutes
particularly liked
in the camps. Consistent in
making lesbians
this line, Eric H. adds that “
the Nazis particularly liked
work in the
making lesbians work in the
brothels as they though that
brothels as they
that would help them
recuperate their desire for
though that that
men.” After having spent
would help them
several
months
in
Flossenbürg, it is believed
recuperate their
that she was then sent to an
extermination camp where
desire for men.”
she died. This end would be
shared by all women who
worked as prostitutes in the camps, after six months they were
systematically sent to the gas chambers.
As one would expect, the Nazis particularly prayed upon Jewish
lesbians. Mrs. Schoppmann tells us the story of Henny Schermann,
interned in March 1940 and of Mary Pünjer, interned in October 1940
both in Ravensbrück. They would become the victims of the notorious
Nazi “Doctor” Friedrich Mennecke who, like tens of thousands of his
CAMPAIGNING is the quarterly publication of ILGA.
To subscribe, send comments or suggestions, email
to [email protected] or visit www.ilga.org under section
get involved. The information contained in this publication does
not necessarily reflects the policy of ILGA. Editor: Kursad
Kahramanoglu Chief Editor: Stephen Barris. Texts: S. Barris
except otherwise specified. Contributors: Edna Castello/360°,
Paulo P. Corte-Real, Patricia Curzi, Sylvia Jaen, Juris Lavrikovs,
Ghassan Makarem, Gilles Marchidon, Douglas Sanders, Andrew
Pilgrim, Star Newpaper/Behind the Mask, Louis Georges Tin,
Rafael Aybar/Zero. Translations: Andrew Pilgrim Proofreading:
Tom Hoemig, P.Curzi, A. Pilgrim. Graphic design: many thanks to
MC Casal for the original design and Jacques Prouvost for the
final touch! Layout: S. Barris Printer: Grenz-Echo. We would also
like to thank: Tim Barnett, Nigel Christie, Fer (And Ligeey),
Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, Ed Mishin. Special thanks to Gerald
Alary.
ILGA March 05 30
other “patients,” would declare them “unworthy to live.” Mennecke’s
diagnosis of Mrs. Schermann describes a “compulsive lesbian, who
visits exclusively lesbian bars and clubs. Does not use her given name,
Sara. Jewish woman, no nationality”. As for Mary Pünjer, Mennecke
writes “very active lesbian, constantly frequenting lesbian clubs,
exhibitionist.” Both would be sent to the gas chamber in 1942.
How many lesbians
were killed under the
third Reich? How many
were raped, how many
had to hide? The fact
that lesbophobia was
not a prerogative in
Hitler’s Germany, and
hence was not as well
documented as their
other crimes, make any sort of scientific analysis impossible. It would
however be dangerous to minimise their suffering under the pretext that
it had been erased by the Nazi regime and by the passing of time. When
will we see other texts as interesting as Claudia Schoppmann?
Copyright 360° www.360.ch
(1) See also the works of German sociologist Ilse Kokula
(2) Ilse kokula, Der Kampf gegen Unterdrückung, Verlag
Fraunenoffensive
(3) From Jürgen Lemke’s Ganz normal anders. Auskünfte schwuler
Männer aus der DDR
(4) In 1941 German Jews werer stripped of their nationality.
ILGA EXECUTIVE
BOARD
Secretaries Generals:
Rosanna Flamer-Caldera
& Kursad Kahramanoglu
Women’s Secretariat:
Anna Leah
Sarabia/Women's Media
Circle
Asia
Lanny Winata
& Vivek Anand
Australia, New Zealand
and Pacific Islands
Uma Kali Shakti
& Carlos Perera
Europe
Jackie Lewis
& Yves de Matteis
Latin America & the
Caribbean (ILTGALAC)
Patria Jiménez,
Beto de Jesus
Belissa Andía Pérez
North America
Trinity A. Ordona
& Yvan Lapointe
Africa:
Positions currently vacant.
To email to any board
member, type first name
+ @ilga.org>
[email protected]
My campaign
Picture a never ending Summer...
by Paulo P. Corte-Real
The pictures on the left are captions from the TV ad that is part of our
multimedia campaign against homophobia – the first of its kind in
Portugal.
At Associacao ILGA Portugal, which is the largest and the oldest LGBT
Association in Portugal, we had been planning to run a campaign like this for
a long time. Last Summer, we initiated contacts with W/Portugal, an
advertising agency that showed enthusiasm about the possibility of doing pro
bono work on behalf of our fight against homophobia. We initially wrote a
detailed description of our goals and then had several meetings with
W/Portugal in which we discussed the ideas that they presented as well as
their political implications. As a result of this collaborative process,
W/Portugal produced the campaign under the slogan “For the right to
indifference” – a concept that they beautifully captured in the TV ad entitled
“Short sleeves”. In January 2005, the campaign was officially launched in
several media: TV, radio, print ads, posters, and web banners.
There was a conscious choice to emphasize images of public displays of
affection between lesbian and gay couples in both the TV and print ads. On
one hand, we wanted these positive representations to empower LGBT
people and to help them become more visible in society. On the other hand,
we wanted people in general to start regarding images of openly gay and
lesbian couples as natural daily occurrences rather than as a source of
surprise or hostility.
By focusing on apparently small aspects of daily life where discrimination is
present, the campaign also exposes homophobia and emphasizes the need to
fight discrimination in society and in the law. Through a plea for indifference
with respect to sexual orientation, the campaign actually promotes equality
and the full social integration of LGBT people.
To access all elements of the campaign, visit http://www.ilgaportugal.oninet.pt/campanha/campanha.htm
Radio spot (30’’)
«Joao is 24 years old and he is openly gay. But many people
see Joao as a … (censored), while others describe him as a
… (censored).
His colleagues just call him a … (censored), while his
neighbors refer to him as the … (censored).
If you think that is too much censoring in just 20 seconds,
try to imagine one day in Joao’s life.
Associacao ILGA Portugal. For the right to indifference.»
31 Campaigning
Gay Marriage in Spain,
Homophobia wakes up.
Closing comment
by Sylvia Jaén, Director of International relations for
Spain’s State Federation of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals
Quick, sudden, strange, surprising. All of these adjectives have
been used to sum up the general atmosphere here in Spain
before the soon-to-be passing of legislation that will legalize
marriage between individuals of the same sex. To understand
how the Spanish state has transformed itself from a brutal
dictatorship to a modern and enlightened democracy whose
society is openly expressing its desire to integrate everybody
requires some reflection.
The last thirty-five years have seen
LGBT activism go from a clandestine
activity in which individuals had to
protect themselves from persecution
through code words and pseudonyms
to large and open annual pride
parades down the streets of Spain’s
main cities. During this time nobody
can underestimate the important role
that LGBT organisations have played
in breaking the silence and eliminating
the old stereotypes used against gay
people everywhere. The creation of a
national
federation
of
LGBT
associations, capable of bringing
together diverse groups from all over
the country whose goal is to achieve
full equality for LGBT people, has been
fundamental in uniting us and helping
us to overcome considerable political
and ideological differences in the
pursuit of our common aim.
During the last few months we have been witness to the fiery
homophobic and archaic rhetoric of the Catholic church
foretelling the downfall of the family, a
“The remarkable progress rise in unemployment, the suffering of
minors, and social chaos if gay marriage
Spanish society has made comes to pass. In unyielding support,
the Partido Popular, throughout its eight
has shed light upon the years in power, systematically refused
to dialog with LGBT groups, and in
doing so stirred up our community, a
substantial power
community that continually told them
no. That for no matter how many polls
that those against the
showed that the Spanish people declare
themselves Catholics, they still lived
extension of rights to
their sexuality before marriage and not
only for reproductive purposes. That
LGBT people
they did not want marriages without the
possibility of divorce, and that they
still have today...
want that those who have up to this
point been invisible, the numerous gay
and the sordid lengths
and lesbian teachers, doctors, nurses
they are willing to go to and butchers, to have the same rights
as the rest of Spanish society.
to stop it”.
This profound evolution of Spanish society would have never
been possible however without the work of LGBT groups
inside the main political parties and without the help of those
who defend the vision of a secular Spanish state. As we know
today, 70% of Spanish people support the legalisation of gay
marriage and legislation that helps to combat homophobia.
Unfortunately, the remarkable progress society has made has
ILGA March 05 32
shed light upon the substantial power that those against the
extension of civil and social rights to LGBT people, notably the
Partido Popular and the Catholic hierarchy, still have today and
the sordid lengths they are willing to go to to stop it.
Spain is changing, and we as activists
have limited ourselves to responding to
those who oppose us with the calm
reason that the rationality of our demands affords us. The
Catholic hierarchy, ultra-conservative forces in the judiciary,
and the Partido Popular see everyday that society is turning
their backs to them. There will be difficult months ahead of us,
but nothing will get in our way so that equal rights for
everybody includes everybody.