Date: Fri, 06 Jan 1995 20:55:58 -0800 (PST) From: International Gay Lesbian Human Rights Commission Subject: CHINA:Beijing Women's Conference NEW Beijing Conference on Women In September 1995, the United Nations IV World Conference on Women will take place in Beijing, China. At the conference, the Member States of the United Nations will adopt at Platform for Action that will set the agenda for action on women's issues for years to come. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) is part of an international network that has formed to demand the inclusion of lesbian issues in the conference agenda and in the Platform for Action. Five regional preparatory meetings have taken place within the last few months, and activists have met with some success in raising lesbian concerns. Lesbian demands were included in the recommendations submitted by non-governmental organizations at the Latin America and Caribbean preparatory meeting, and there was active support of lesbian issues from many of the organizations attending the meeting. The Europe and North America Regional Platform for Action mentions sexual orientation in its preamble, and directs governments to include lesbian groups in the design, development, and implementation of strategies for change; this is the first time that a document adopted by Member States has included any mention of sexual orientation. These documents will be used in drafting the final version of the Platform for Action for the World Conference on Women. It is crucial that pressure be brought to bear on the Conference Secretariat before the final preparatory meeting, which will take place in New York in March 1995. Below is a sample letter to Gertrude Mongella, Secretary General of the IV World Conference on Women. Please use this language or write your own letter -- including, if possible, information about the specific issues that concern lesbians in your country or region. Send letters to: Dear Ms. Mongella, I urge you to ensure that at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, all possible action is taken to make women's sexual autonomy an integral part of the Conference's focus on Equality, Development, and Peace. Lesbians and bisexual women experience a wide range of human rights abuses, including imprisonment and murder, verbal and physical harassment, denial of child custody, and discrimination in employment, education, social benefits programs, housing and health care. Lack of legal recognition of relationships between women results in lesbian families being separated by discriminatory immigration and asylum laws. Moreover, the enforcement of heterosexual norms by official and extra-official means restricts the autonomy of all women. If the World Conference on Women fails to specifically address the issue of women's sexual autonomy, areas of concern already central to the conference -- such as health care, employment, and education -- cannot possibly be addressed in a comprehensive and effective manner. I urge you to take action to secure the inclusion of these issues in the Platform for Action to be adopted in Beijing, and to do everything in your power to ensure that lesbian organizations are able to participate fully in the Conference preparations and in the Conference itself. Write to: Gertrude Mongella Secretary-General IV World Conference on Women 2 UN Plaza, 12th Floor New York, NY 10017 USA fax: +1-212-963-3463 Please send copies of your letter to: Supatra Masdit Convener, NGO Forum on Women 211 E. 43rd St., Suite 1500 New York, NY 10017 USA fax: +1-212-922-9269 Beijing Project IGLHRC 1360 Mission St., Suite 200 San Francisco, CA 94110 USA fax: +1-415-255-8662