Subject: IGLHRC on Women's Conference
From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 16 Sep 1995 14:02:41 -0400

The following press release is being distributed by the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) on behalf of the organization named in the
release.  For further information, please contact the original author, and
not NGLTF.
Thank you.
**************************

INTERNATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

1360 Mission Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, California 94103 USA 
Tel. +1-415.255.8680 Fax +1-415.255.8662
e-mail: [email-masked]

LESBIANS SEE RESULTS 
AT WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN

For Immediate Release
September 15, 1995

Contact:
Rachel Rosenbloom 
   9/16-9/25   212-479-7892
   after 9/25  415-255-8680
Julie Dorf  415-255-8680

 A concerted effort by lesbian activists has led to unprecedented recognition
of lesbian concerns at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women.
 The "Platform For Action" adopted at the Conference includes strong language
recognizing women's right to have control over and decide freely on matters
relating their sexuality "free of coercion, discrimination or violence," and
tireless lobbying by over 30 members of the Lesbian Caucus resulted in
significant support for the 
inclusion of language specifically recognizing the existence of
discrimination based on sexual orientation. 

 Early Friday morning, in the final hours of negotiations, the 185
governments present at the Conference debated the inclusion of the term
"sexual orientation" in four actions of the Platform.  After a heated debate
in which many countries spoke for and against the language, Chair Patricia
Licuanan noted that although sexual orientation was an issue that was sure to
be raised again in the future, without consensus she had no choice but to
strike it from the document.  Among the countries speaking in favor of
retaining the language on sexual orientation were South Africa, Jamaica,
Barbados, Canada, the United States, Cuba, Brazil, Slovenia, Colombia,
Australia, New Zealand, Israel and the countries of the European Union.  The
countries opposing the language included Libya, Sudan, Uganda, and Syria.

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IGLHRC 

 "This Conference represents a significant victory for lesbians," commented
Rachel Rosenbloom, Lesbian Project Coordinator at the International Gay and
Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLRHRC).  "At the last World Conference on
Women ten years ago, only one country -- the Netherlands -- spoke out in
support of lesbians, and at this conference over 30 countries have done so.
 The debate that occurred gives some indication of the battles that lesbians
must keep fighting all over the world to gain recognition of their rights,
but this conference lays a firm groundwork for future action at the local,
national, and international level."

 One of the paragraphs in question states in its final form that "many women
face particular barriers because of such factors as "their race, age,
language, ethnicity, culture, religion, disability or other status or because
they are indigenous people." While sexual orientation was removed from this
list, several countries went on record as saying that they interpreted "other
status" to include sexual orientation.  

 IGLHRC was one of eleven lesbian and gay groups accredited to attend the
World Conference on Women, and was a central organizer of lesbian activities
at both the Conference and the parallel Non-Governmental Forum on Women.  At
the Conference, IGLHRC released a report entitled Unspoken Rules: Sexual
Orientation and Women's Human Rights which details human rights violations
against lesbians in 31 countries around the world. 

 At both the Conference and the Forum, lesbians from every region of the
world were active in unprecedented numbers and brought a broad range of
issues to the attention of conference participants.  On September 10, Human
Rights Day at the Conference, lesbian activists hung a large purple banner
proclaiming "Lesbian Rights are Human Rights!" during the afternoon plenary
session, and on September 13, South African lesbian activist Palesa Beverley
Ditsie received a standing ovation when she addressed the assembled delegates
at another plenary session on behalf of IGLHRC and over 50 other
non-governmental organizations.  

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