Translation

.يولد جميع الناس أحرارا متساوين في الكرامة والحقوق. وقد وهبوا عقلا وضميرا وعليهم أن يعامل بعضهم بعضا بروح الإخاء‎
FoxLingo German Spanish French Arabic Czech Greek Hungarian Italian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovenian Thai Turkish

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

International groups call for pro-gay day

Organizations from across the globe are calling for the launch of an International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) in a bid not only to help protect LGBT people from attacks, but also to increase awareness and visibility.

Submitted by writer Louis-Georges Tin, the proposal would see May 17 celebrated annually as an attempt to gain international recognition of LGBT people, particularly in countries where homosexuality is still taboo.

The date was chosen because on May 17, 1990, the General Assembly of the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.

Tin, the editor of the "Dictionary of Homophobia," says he hopes that the day will help push change forward for those who need it most.

"It will make it possible to show that the fight against homophobia is not only the business of gay, bi or trans people, but that it is the full responsibility of public authorities and the will of the whole society," he says.

Organizers believe that, while campaigns will not be held in countries where homosexuality is still illegal, in more tolerant territories LGBT people should protest on "behalf of the suppressed."

The event has already secured support from the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), as well as the Coalition of African Lesbians, the European Association of Human Rights and the International Federation of Human Rights.

Political groups that support the event include the Socialist Group of the European Parliament and the European Green Party, while religious organizations include the World Congress of LGBT Jews.

The U.K.'s campaign for the IDAHO will be headed by the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA), which is calling on LGBT people across the country to sign a petition.

Each country will then hand in their own petition to public authorities on May 19 and call for equality for gay people.

"I can't think that there will be anyone reading this who will disagree with the aims of this international campaign," GALHA's Derek Lennard told Gay.com U.K.

"I hope that in the next few weeks we can show to the world that in the fight against homophobia, we can be determined and united," he said.

No comments: