Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 16:30:57 +0200 From: Tom Hoemig Subject: Press Release FAX PRESS RELEASE Barcelona/Sidney, August 18, 1999 The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) Celebrates 21 Years of Existence: Human Rights Newly Include Protection From Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation On the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), a world federation bringing together more than 400 organizations in 80 countries on all continents, founded in Coventry, United Kingdom, the 8th of August 1978, its spokespersons, Co-Secretary General Jennifer Wilson in Sidney and Co-Secretary General Jordi Petit in Barcelona declare: During the past 21 years the various organizations that form ILGA throughout the world have worked together to obtain historic achievements which have led to the recognition of freely-chosen sexual orientation on the part of individuals as an inalienable Human Right that is slowly consolidating from one country to another. Already 14 countries penalize discrimination based on sexual orientation, and three countries have incorporated this right in their new constitutions: South Africa, Ecuador and the Fiji Islands. Homosexual couples in six countries have obtained legislation which provides them with almost the same rights enjoyed by married couples in terms of equality and non-discrimination based on sexual orientation. The High Courts of Hungary and Canada have adopted the same position regarding homosexual couples. The Netherlands could be the first country in the world to legalize homosexual marriage, depending on proposed legislation which would go into effect in 2001. It is important to highlight during this long process the chain of victories obtained, always with the support of ILGA and its organizations within each country. On October 1st, 1981, the Council of Europe recognized and proclaimed for the first time in history to right to sexual autodetermination and called for the end of all forms of discrimination against homosexuals. In 1991, Amnesty International finally concerned itself with protecting people jailed for homosexuality and deemed them to be prisioners of conscience. On January 1, 1993, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from its list of diseases, a measure taken with some evident delay in light of the positions adopted earlier by associations of sexologists, psychologists, psychiatrists in the seventies. The European Parliament in February 1994 recommended full equality regarding same sex couples' rights of marriage, including adoption and child education. Finally, on an institutional level, we must highlight ILGA's consultative status at the Council of Europe January 15, 1998, Also, October the 8th of the same year we were officially received in Geneva by the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Mrs. Mary Robinson. Nevertheless, we must denounce the infringement of rights against lesbians and gays throughout the world, where every three days a homosexual murder is committed, especially in Latin America and in countries such as Mexico and Brazil. Homosexuality is still illegal in 86 countries, and the death penalty is still applied in some Middle Eastern states. With the exception of the European Union, North America and Australia, the majority of countries allocate little or no resources to the fight against HIV/AIDS for the homosexual community and do not extend state-provided medication. The struggle for equality and non-discrimination as well as HIV/AIDS prevention within the homosexual communities are two priorities that ILGA will discuss and pursue at our next World Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, on September 19th to 25th. Jennifer Wilson - ILGA Co-Secretary General, Sydney Australia Jordi Petit - ILGA Co-Secretary General, Barcelona Spain ILGA - International Lesbian and Gay Association Kolenmarkt, 81 * B-1000 Brussels * Belgium Phone/Fax +32-2-502-2471 E-mail: ilga@ilga.org * World Wide Web site http://www.ilga.org/ Since 1978