PINK Armenia becomes member of ILGA - major international gay rights group

Big congrats to PINK Armenia!!

PINK becomes a member of the ILGA - INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANS AND INTERSEX ASSOCIATION.

Well deserved.

LGBT Rights in the World (Map)

International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) launched the 2008 version of its map on LGBTI rights in the world on occasion of the federation’s 30th anniversary (previous version of the map - here).

According to the map, in South Caucasus (as well as in a broader region, including Russia, Turkey and Iran), only Georgia has introduced legislation which specifically outlaws discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Armenia, Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan do not provide similar provisions. However, this map does not specify the level and comprehensiveness of that protection, which varies. Particularly, in Georgia antidiscriminatory provisions cover only employment: since May 2006, as part of the new Labour Code, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is illegal in employment. This by no means implies that the situation with LGBT people and gay rights is particularly better in Georgia than say in Turkey. However, it is a step forward in a right direction.

Among our neighbours, the most appalling situation is certainly in Iran which is one of only 7 countries worldwide where death penalty for same-sex acts is still in place and acted upon.

Below I provide a brief summary statistics on LGBT rights in the world, as of January 2008, taken from the map:

Persecution

• death penalty: 7 countries
• imprisonment: 76 countries and 6 entities

Protection

• antidiscrimination laws: 49 countries and 33 entities

Recognition

• recognition and registration for same-sex unions: 19 countries and 14 entities

According to PinkNews, ILGA is now preparing the 2008 version of State-sponsored Homophobia Report which will be ready for 17 May, International Day Against Homophobia.

Armenia participated in ILGA-Asia regional conference

Although a member of European Region of International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), for the first time, Armenia participated in the 3rd ILGA-Asia Regional conference held in Chiang Mai, Thailand - 24 - 27 January 2008.

Acoording to "We For Civil Equality" (WFCE) Armenian LGBT NGO January newsletter, its head participated in this conference of about 160 lesbian, gay and human rights activists from both Asian and non-Asian countries.

"The conference was hosted by the Committee on Lesbigay Rights in Burma (CLRB) and M-Plus, a local gay group which runs a drop-in centre. Armenia was chairing plenary on transgender issues in Asia. A workshop was done on transgender issues and by Armenia’s initiative it was decided that Pan-Asian Transgenders Association will be established. The role of "We For Civil Equality" will be some kind of bridge between Europe and Asia."

"A street parade was held in the city for the first time as over 200 conference attendees, observers and members of the local LGBT community marched from the Buddhist Centre (Puttastan) to Pantip Plaza on Saturday night."

I certainly welcome this participation which indicates an increasing involvement of Armenian LGBT activists in various regional projects and collaborations.
***

Just one 'technical' remark: WFCE January newsletter states in relation to this news that "Geographically and politically Armenia is a part of Europe but culturally and morality is a part of Asia." While I would not go into debate as to which continent Armenia belongs to "geographically, politically or culturally", it seems everlasting and opinions differ, I find it bizarre the part about "morality". I personally would go for "politically and culturally - Europe", and geographically - Wikipedia description of Armenia as "transcontinental nation". As to "morality", that notion is the vaguest to define, and one could argue that "morality"-wise Armenia is closer to Greece or Balkan countries etc. In any case, I'd rather not mention "morality" at all.

European gay activists gather for annual conference in Vilnius amid controversy

ILGA-Europe [European branch of the International Lesbian and Gay Association] members gather for annual conference in Vilnius, but their public event is banned by Mayor

On 25-28 October 2007, almost 200 delegates from all over Europe gather in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius for the 11th ILGA-Europe’s Annual Conference. While the Conference goes ahead, the Rainbow Flag public event planned by the Lithuanian hosts during the conference was banned by the Mayor of Vilnius. A legal challenge of the ban has been already initiated.

ILGA-Europe’s Annual Conference is traditionally an opportunity for ILGA –Europe members to gather together to discuss the organisational priorities, strategies and tactics on advancing equality and human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Europe. The Annual Conference is also ILGA-Europe’s annual general meeting when new board members are elected and various organisational issues and documents are discussed and adopted. During this year’s conference the delegates will discuss ILGA-Europe’s strategic plan for 2008-2011.

During the conference’s workshops, plenary panels and sessions, a variety of subjects will be discussed: addressing the rights of LGBT people at the UN level, mental health needs of LGBT people, inclusion of trans issues in lobbying and advocacy work, reacting to religious right, making trade unions LGBT friendly, developing advocacy strategies, using video in monitoring LGBT human rights abuses, reconciling sexuality and spirituality, and many more topics.
[...]

Unfortunately, the public event to coincide with the Annual Conference and display a 30 meters long rainbow flag was once again banned by the Mayor of Vilnius. Instead the Rainbow Flag Reception inside the Conference hotel is taking place. Deborah Lambillotte, Co-Chair of ILGA-Europe’s Executive Board, said:

“We are appalled that an EU member states repeatedly violates the right to a free and peaceful assembly. We are glad that the Lithuanian Gay League has already initiated legal proceedings against the Vilnius City Council which did not authorised the Rainbow Flag event during our conference. We hope that our conference and our presence in Vilnius will attract international attention and pressure on the Mayor of Vilnius. Our message is simple and clear – LGBT people have the same right to express their views and concerns publicly, and as any other citizen of the European Union, to enjoy the rights guaranteed in the Lithuanian Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. We feel sorry that the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in a similar case does not mean much to the Mayor of Vilnius and that the court rooms will need to be used to get this message to him."

* ILGA-Europe press release

P.S. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are included within the European branch of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA). Main LGBT-related organisations from these countries are members of ILGA-Europe. Gay activists from all South Caucasus countries will participate in this conference.

State Homophobia (Map)

World Legal Map on legislations affecting LGBT people around the world
(by French newspaper Le Monde and ILGA)

*click here to enlarge


*Note that this Map reflects situation before 2004. According to State-sponsored Homophobia 2007 report, "consensual sexual acts between persons of the same sex in private were decriminalised in Cape Verde in 2004, Marshall Islands in 2004, Fiji in 2005 and Puerto Rico in 2005."

In Armenia, gay male sex was decriminalised in December 2002. Lesbian sex was never legally banned. An age of consent of 16 was set regardless of the gender of those involved.

The Armenian National Assembly has repealed article 116 of its criminal code which punished sex between men with up to 5 years in prison (Armenian legislation followed the corresponding article from the former Soviet Union). According to various reports, 7 men were sentenced in Armenia for gay sex in 1996, 4 in 1997 (Amnesty International 1999 Report on Armenia) and 4 in 1999 (Opinion of the Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee of the Council of Europe on the accession of Armenia - Doc. 8756 - 6 June 2000). After 1999, article 116 has no longer been put in practice.

On 28th June 2000 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe made repeal of article 116 a condition of Armenia's membership to the Council of Europe. With this repeal, the last remaining law in Europe criminalising same-sex relationships was repealed.

State-sponsored Homophobia (Report)

A world survey of laws prohibiting same sex activity between consenting adults
(April 2007)


Homophobia is the fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals. The hatred, hostility, or disapproval of homosexual people.

The impressive collection of laws presented in this report is an attempt to show the extent of State homophobia in the world. In 2007, no less than 85 member states of the United Nations still criminalize consensual same sex acts among adults, thus institutionally promoting a culture of hatred. With this publication, we hope to raise awareness about this reality which extent remains unknown to the vast majority of people.

Although many of the countries listed in the report do not systematically implement those laws, their mere existence reinforces a culture where a significant portion of the citizens need to hide from the rest of the population out of fear. A culture where hatred and violence are somehow justified by the State and force people into invisibility or into denying who they truly are.

Whether imported by colonial empires or the result of legislations culturally shaped by religious beliefs, if not deriving directly from a conservative interpretation of religious texts, homophobic laws are the fruit of a certain time and context in history. Homophobia is cultural. Homophobia is not inborn. We learn it as we grow.

In many cases, "prejudice against homosexual people” is the result of ignorance and fear. This long catalogue of horrors is but a tale of the intolerance against what is foreign and different.

On occasion of May 17th, the International Day against Homophobia, we take this opportunity to praise the work of human rights defenders who tirelessly fight against injustice and challenge homophobia, lesbophobia and transphobia which surround us.

Decriminalization of same sex activity is as urgent as ever. The fight for the respect of every minority has to be everyone’s fight. We believe that the recognition of sexual minorities as civil components of our societies and the acknowledgement of the equality of their human rights can contribute to learning how to live together, that is, the learning of democracy.

Rosanna Flamer Caldera & Philipp Braun
Co-secretaries generals of ILGA, the International Lesbian and Gay Association

*This report compiled by Daniel Ottosson and published by ILGA, the International Lesbian and Gay Association. A copy of the report is available here