Date: Wed, 1 Nov 1995 09:15:52 -0100 (CET) From: "" ILGA Press Release: October 29, 1995 ILGA demands the United Nations to Recognize Sexual Orientation On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, the Secretaries-General of ILGA, Inge Wallaert of Belgium and Jordi Petit of Spain, congratulate them for their work in advancing human rights around the world. The International Lesbian Gay Association (ILGA) has worked for 18 years for the human rights of gay men and lesbians. Over 450 group and individual members from 75 countries belong to this federation. As well as other victories, ILGA has obtained the recognition of sexual orientation by international institutions such as the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the World Health Organization, and recently, by the 56 countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). As well in the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the right of sexual orientation was the topic of an important debate. Even though the Spanish Minister of Social Affairs, Cristina Alberdi, defended this right on behalf of the European Union with the support of Mona Sahlin, Swedish Deputy Prime Minister, sexual orientation was not included in the final declaration of the conference. However, in the 26 years of the modern gay and lesbian movement, this right of sexual orientation has advanced in irreversible ways. Considering the assasinations of gay activists in countries such as Mexico, anti-gay violence in Brazil, the illegality of homosexuality in the penal codes of Chile, Ecuador and Nicaragua, police raids in many countries such as Argentina and Bolivia, or situations still worse like the executions of homosexuals in the Middle East and the recent escalated persecution of gay men and lesbians in Zimbabwe, and finally, the criminalization of homosexuality that still exists in many of the world's countries, ILGA demands that the United Nations definitively recognize the human right of sexual orientation, as it has been recognized by more and more countries and by other international institutions. Jordi Petit and Inge Wallaert, Secretaries-General of ILGA. Brussels, 29 October 1995. For more information: ILGA Administrative Office 81 Kolenmarkt B-1000 Brussels BELGIUM (tel-fax) 32-2-502-2471 (e-mail) ilga@glo.be (finally, apologies to people who get this message multiple times from being on a variety of mailing lists) ****************************************************************************** To send a message to the entire list "queerplanet", email queerplanet@abacus.oxy.edu This list is run by the program MAJORDOMO@abacus.oxy.edu. *******************************************************************************