Subject: Repression Against Lesbians and Gay Men in Latin America
From: Sabina Astete <[email-masked]>
Date: 17 May 1996 13:34:40 GMT

Written 12:23 PM  Apr 26, 1996 by [email-masked]
Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America
_______________________________________________________

     RELEASE OF NEW ICCHRLA REPORT

     Church coalition report breaks new ground,
     denounces systematic violence against gays
     and lesbians in Latin America as a
     fundamental human rights issue

April 26, 1996

(Toronto)  In a groundbreaking report released today, a Canadian
social justice coalition of more than 20 Christian churches and
religious orders has broken silence about an urgent human rights
issue which is largely ignored by the human rights community.

The report by the Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin
America (ICCHRLA) is entitled

     Violence Unveiled: Repression Against Lesbians and Gay Men
     in Latin America

and based on research conducted with a wide range of organizations
and individuals in the region.

In countries such as Mexico, Colombia and Argentina, states the
report, sexual minorities have been faced with arbitrary arrest,
torture
and assassination. Paramilitary groups or death squads in Brazil
have
been responsible for the death of more than 1,200 gay men and
lesbians since 1982. In Nicaragua, Chile and Ecuador, homosexual
activity is a crime punishable by lengthy prison sentences.
Throughout
the region, vaguely worded laws or police regulations are
frequently
used to arbitrarily detain lesbians and gay men and subject them to

various forms of abuses, including extortion.

"These abuses are systematic, they take place in a context of deep-
seated, violent homophobia and they must be recognized as a
fundamental human rights issue," states Bill Fairbairn, ICCHRLA
South America Programme Coordinator and author of the report.

"One of the worst cases documented in the report is that of a
19-year
old Mexican man who was beaten to death in the early hours of June
27, 1995 by a group of 15 men wielding iron bars, clubs and broken
bottles," comments Fairbairn. "There was no outcry in the press, no

official interest in clarifying the crime and this is all too
typical of a
situation in which most of the abuses committed against lesbians
and
gay men are shrouded in a blanket of silence and impunity,"
continues
Fairbairn. "Many more violations are taking place than are actually

reported to human rights groups because the victims are simply too
frightened to come forward and denounce them."

The ICCHRLA report -- which is motivated by a profound faith
commitment to the intrinsic value of all human life and to God's
justice
for all who are oppressed, marginalized and excluded -- concludes
by
articulating the hope that the wall of silence around the violent
repression of lesbians and gay men in the Americas be replaced by
a
spirit of reflection, dialogue and commitment to a more inclusive
understanding and defence of human rights.

Amongst other recommendations, ICCHRLA calls on the governments
of Latin America to dismantle paramilitary groups which have
targeted
sexual minorities, as well as to remove from active duty and duly
sanction police and military officials guilty of abuses against
lesbians
and gay men.  As well, ICCHRLA urges human rights groups to
establish contact with organizations of lesbians and gay men, where

these exist, and together seek ways to develop "safe spaces" where
victims of human rights abuses can come forward in trust to present

their complaints.

ICCHRLA also urges both church and secular organizations to review
their policies regarding sexual minorities to ensure they are
congruent
with international human rights standards and not advertently or
inadvertently promoting intolerance and violence against lesbians
and
gay men.

To order this valuable resource please send a cheque or money order

to: ICCHRLA, 129 St. Clair Ave W., Toronto, ON M4V 1N5.  Prices are

indicated below

     Orders in Canada: $10/report
     Orders in U.S: $12/report
     Orders outside of Canada/U.S.: $14/report

For more information on other reports, subscriptions to ALERTA (our

bimonthly bulletin), or information on ICCHRLA write to the address

above or contact us @

     Tel: (416) 921-0801
     Fax. (416) 921-3843
     email: [email-masked]

BACKGROUND ON ICCHRLA:
The Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America
(ICCHRLA) is an ecumenical social justice coalition representing
more
than 20 different Canadian churches and religious communities.
ICCHRLA was founded in 1973 in response to calls from partners in
Chile for Canadian solidarity efforts following General Pinochet's
bloody military coup. Since then, ICCHRLA has worked to monitor
human rights concerns throughout Mexico, Central and South
America, sending regular fact-finding delegations to the region,
and
engaging in advocacy work to press the Canadian government,
Canadian corporations and multilateral bodies such as the UN and
the
OAS for policies and practices that promote respect for the broad
spectrum of human rights.