Date: Mon, 22 Jul 1996 19:26:50 +0200 From: ilga Subject: ILGA Annual Report / ILGA Day (pt 1) *ILGA DAY ILGA DAY ILGA DAY ILGA DAY ILGA DAY ILGA DAY ILGA DAY* ILGA Annual Report 1995 1996 for ILGA Day, August 8th ====================================================== The International Lesbian and Gay Association is pleased to present to you its first ever ILGA Annual Report: a report covering the year between July 1995 and August 8, 1996 that summarizes the victories and challenges for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people around the world. It also includes our most up to date information on the legal status of lesbians and gay men and the lesbian and gay movement in hundreds of countries. IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OR MAIL CONTACT OF ILGA: A letter was sent to you already informing you that this report would be done for ILGA Day and asking you to participate. It is being sent air mail, July 22nd, and will hopefully reach all of you before ILGA Day, August 8th. We encourage you to make copies of the report for friends and participate in the other suggested ways. IF YOU ARE A GROUP MEMBER OF ILGA: We ask you to hold a press conference on August 8th, ILGA Day (this year's ILGA day will mark ILGA's 18th anniversary), to draw attention to the issues that face our communities across the globe. Please feel free to reprint our report in your own publication. Help publicize ILGA, and expand our support! We depend on it in order to continue our fight against discrimination and homophobia on an international level. ILGA Day and the release of the ILGA Annual Report is a good occasion to provide ILGA with financial support. ILGA depends almost entirely on membership fees and donations from its members. ILGA can't survive without your help. How about organizing a fundraising party for ILGA for ILGA Day? We invite you to make copies of the ILGA Annual Report yourself and distribute them. You could sell copies for $5USD or an appropriate price as a fundraiser. Or you could give them away and encourage people to become members of ILGA or make their own donations. Or you could collect donations at the press conference? Pass the hat at your office? All donations can be sent to the Administrative Office. IF YOU ARE A PRESS CONTACT OF ILGA: Please consider doing a special feature on ILGA and international issues. Please use our report in doing this, and help publicize our work. IF YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL MEMBER OF ILGA: Share the report with friends, ask your local organizations to help support ILGA, convince others to become individual members of ILGA. TO EVERYONE: We invite you to read this report, and share in the victories and struggles of individuals and communities around the world fighting for the recognition of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and fighting against discrimination, prejudice and violence based on sexual orientation. Please join ILGA if you are not a member already. Join our global struggle: activists in Chile fighting for the decriminalization of homosexuality; the young gay man in Lebanon hungry for information and international contacts; lesbians in Moscow out to change the family code; gay activists in Tokyo fighting discrimination in City Hall; couples all over Europe and North America fighting for the recognition of same sex relationships; all of us all over the world working to stop violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation. Show your solidarity! International Lesbian and Gay Association 81 Kolenmarkt B 1000 Brussels BELGIUM Phone & fax : + 32 2 502 24 71 E mail : ilga@ilga.org ilga annual report 1996 ===================== *A report on events that shaped lesbian and gay life over the past year* From the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) In honour of ILGA Day August 8th Authors: Lisa Power Micha Ramakers (additional text and layout: Andy Quan) For the first time, the International Lesbian and Gay Association is presenting an Annual Report. Our intention is to build solidarity among the global lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, to achieve the recognition of the human rights of the homosexual community by society, governments, and institutions, and to strengthen support in the fight against AIDS. It is certainly difficult to summarize all that has happened in one year, events that range from lesbian activism at the Women's Conference in Beijing to the police raids in different cities in Latin America. We thank the authors of this report, Micha Ramakers and Lisa Power, for their work and contributions; we'd also like to recognize the thousands and thousands of activists around the world who do volunteer work for the 300 member organizations of ILGA. Thank you for your efforts and dedication! We are working for a better world, for the right to love, as well for our children and future generations. Gay and Lesbian Rights are Human Rights! Jordi Petit and Inge Wallaert, secretaries general of ILGA ====================================== International Lesbian and Gay Association Annual report 1996 Each year, the lesbian, gay and bisexual movement and our communities across the globe see victories for human rights and face new challenges from homophobia and bigotry. ILGA has brought together some of the events which have shaped gay life over the past year in some of the countries around the world. Partnership In *Iceland*, a same sex registered partnership law came into effect June 27th 1996, joining similar provisions in Denmark, Greenland, Sweden and Norway. In *Switzerland*, the National Council voted 68 61 to order the government to introduce a same sex partnership law. The city of Antwerp in *Belgium* began a register on January 1st 1996 of couples living together, regardless of whether they were same sex or opposite sex couples. Other Belgian cities announced that they would follow. The *Hungarian* Parliament recognised common law relationships between homosexuals in May 1996, giving them the same rights as heterosexuals except in the adoption of children. In the *USA*, San Francisco mayor Willie Brown Jr. "married" nearly two hundred same sex couples in March 1996 as a gesture of support despite the lack of same sex partnership provision in any US state. However, Hawaii's Supreme Court ruled in favor of three gay couples demanding full same sex marriage rights, sparking off legislative battles in states across the USA including several bans on gay marriages. Hawaii is expected to legalise marriage within the next year, an advance on those countries which offer partial rights through partnerships laws. The *French* government, which allows Swedish heterosexuals to register their partnership in their embassy in Paris, banned same sex partners from doing so despite the legality of the move on Swedish soil. Media *Taiwan* gained its first gay magazine and a two hour daily radio programme in the capital Taipei. *Zimbabwe's* President, Robert Mugabe, banned the country's only lesbian and gay group GALZ from participating in the state funded Zimbabwean International Book Fair, whose theme was supposed to be "Human Rights and Justice". The banning escalated into a huge international incident. Governments across the world protested and public demonstrations greeted Mugabe wherever he visited, leading to further abuse and incitement to violence against gays by him. But increased government harrassment and homophobic staements, ironically, have led to a great increase in support for GALZ both in Zimbabwe and across the globe. Its membership is reported to have doubled. *Portugal's* first gay newspaper, Trivia, was launched in January 1996. The highly respected and conservative international business magazine *The Economist* carried a major article about the growth of the international gay movement and an editorial and front cover supporting gay marriage. New Organizations *Costa Rica* granted legal recognition for the first time in 1995 to a lesbian and gay group. Originally refused under the name "Abraxas", the group was later accepted after public protest as "Association Triangulo Rosa". The group subsequently received a grant from the Dutch government. *Siberian* lesbians and gays held their first official conference. *Kenya* saw the foundation of its first openly gay AIDS charity. FOPOGAP (forum for supportive gays on AIDS prevention) which appealed through ILGA for international support. *Curacao* in the Caribbean got its first organization, Orguyo (Pride), with a newsletter and monthly club night. *Sri Lankan* gays founded a group "Companions On A Journey" and organised a conference on emerging gay identities despite a law punishing sex between mean with jail sentences of up to twelve years. *Hungarian* group Meleg Hatter started a helpline for lesbians and gay men in Budapest in February 1996 with funding from the Soros Foundation. AIDS An AIDS Centre in *Thailand* was forced to move after locals first bombed it and then an unidentified gunman shot into it in 1995. The Provincial AIDS Committee and the police encouraged the centre to relocate. *European* groups working on AIDS and gay men, most of them ILGA member organizations, met in London in February 1996 to discuss co operation on AIDS prevention campaigns for gay holidaymakers in the region. The group included Co Secretary Jordi Petit. Unfortunately, the European Union declined to fund the campaign despite its success in Ibiza in 1995. Delegates at an International AIDS Conference in New Delhi, *India*, called on India to repeal its sodomy law and recognise the extent of male to male transmission of HIV in the country, currently ignored by the government. The Indian railway company Sanjay, revoked their ban on people with AIDS travelling by rail after intense lobbying. A successful training seminar was held for the first time by the ILGA AIDS Working Party in Curitiba, *Brazil*, in May 1996 bringing together 26 organizations from 6 countries. At the International AIDS Conference in Vancouver, *Canada*, the ILGA AIDS Working Party was officially received by UN AIDS who expressed an interest in AIDS/HIV prevention projects in Latin America. In *Argentina*, a national decree is passed for compulsory HIV tests for the Armed and Security Forces and three provinces enact compulsory testing for drug users, sex workers and homosexuals. New laws The new *South African* constitution included protection from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation the first country in the world to constitutionally protect lesbians, gay men and bisexuals. A *French* appeal court upheld an insurance award to the partner of a lesbian killed in a car accident, creating a precedent for partnership rights in France. A new penal code for *Spain*, ratified in November 1995, recognises sexual orientation as a fundamental liberty. This was the first law to protect the rights of homosexuals in any Latin Catholic country. *Slovenia's* new penal code bans both discrimination and special rights upon, among many other grounds, sexual orientation. *Canada* included sexual orientation in its Human Rights Act. *Poland's* draft constitition currently includes sexual orientation within a human rights clause. If passed, it will become the second country in the world after South Africa to constitutionally protect lesbians, gay men and bisexuals. Violence and legal abuse *Iran* continued its judicial murder of homosexuals, including the stoning to death of a man from Hamadan in November for sodomy. *Gemany's* phoneline for victims of anti gay violence reported an 15% increase in reported attacks in 1995 over the previous year. *Peru's* National Police detained 600 people without explanation in a series of raids on gay discos in Lima in Jaunuary and February 1996. *Chile's* police, wearing gloves and hospital gowns took a television crew with them to arrest patrons ot two gay discos in Santiago. Those arrested were questioned about their sexual habits and HIV status. The police later claimed the raid had been "a mistake" and handed over the arrest files to the Chilean gay movement. Police arrest gays and lesbians in raids in Buenos Aires, *Argentina* in August 1995 and in La Paz, *Bolivia*, this year. United Nations/OCSE On the fiftieth anniversary of the *United Nations*, ILGA issued a demand that the UN recognise sexual orientation as a human right, in the same way that the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the World Health Organisation have done. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission organised an *International Tribunal on Human Rights Violations Against Sexual Minorities* in October 1995 to coincide with the fifitieth anniversary. Lesbians, gay men and transexuals from *El Salvador, the USA, Turkey, India, Argentina, Zimbabwe, Romania and the Phillipines* testified to personal and often violent discrimination and denial of their human rights. In July 1995, parliamentarians of the *Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OCSE)* recognize sexual orientation as an area of non discrimination in its "Ottawa Declaration." Asylum and Migration *Ireland* agreed to accept sexual orientation as legitimate grounds for claiming political asylum. In the *USA*, a lesbian and a gay man from Iran were both granted asylum. But in *Sweden*, a gay Iranian claiming asylum was deported back to Iran. Military The *United Kingdom* upheld its ruling banning lesbians and gays from serving in the military despite a strong campaign by ILGA member group Stonewall, who promised to take the isuue to the European Court of Human Rights. Beijing Women's World Conference ILGA members joined other lesbians from around the world in organising lesbian events and visibility at the Conference. Ex Secretary General Rebeca Sevilla of *Peru* spoke at the NGO Forum and Palesa Beverley Ditsie of *South Africa* spoke during the official proceedings on behalf of ILGA, the International Lesbian Information Service, the International Gay And Lesbian Human Rights Commission and other groups. *IGLHRC* coordinated a highly successful lesbian tent and many lesbians joined together to drape a banner reading "Lesbian Rights Are Human Rights" from the balcony to the main hall, creating an image which was used by news agencies across the globe. Sadly, sexual orientation was deleted from the final document after pressure from a number of governments, but many national representatives publicy stated that they would "read in" the clause into their interpretation of the anti discrimination measures. Transexuality A *New Zealand* town, Carterton, elected an open transexual as mayor in October 1995. She is thought to be the world's first transexual mayor. *Singapore* announced in January 1996 that post operative transexuals would be free to marry people of the opposite sex. Pride and other gay events *Tokyo*'s second Pride in August 1995 doubled the attendance to more than 2,000. *Australia*'s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras attracted a record 600,000 people from across the world, bringing US $44 million into Sydney's economy. *London*'s Pride changed its full official name to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride in a landslide vote by its membership. *European* Pride organisers estimated that more than half a million people attended Pride celebrations across the continent in 1995, a massive growth from around 50,000 in 1990. *Slovenian* lesbians and gay men held their first international confernce in August 1995, attracting speakers from the USA, Britain, the Netherlands and Germany. The 17th *ILGA* World Conference in Rio de Janeiro sees the first international lesbian and gay event and the first Pride March ever held in *Brazil*, with Brazilian activists cominig together to also launch a national federation. Religion *Austrian* ILGA activist Kurt Krickler and gay group Opus Lei announced in August 1995 that four Austrian bishops had homosexual leanings in a protest at repeated refusals by the government to reform anti gay laws. The bishops announced that they would sue for defamation. *South Africa*'s Archbishop Desmond Tutu publicly announced his support for homosexuals, comparing anti homosexual discrimination to apartheid. Other events *New Zealand* decided to include lesbian and gay couples in their upcoming national census of the population. *Tasmania*, the only state in Australia where homosexual acts are illegal, elected an openly gay man to the Australian Federal Government. *South Africa* appointed an out gay activist, Edwin Cameron, as a Supreme Court judge. A gay activist in *Chile*, where homosexuality is illegal, will run for municipal office in October 1996. In October 1995, ILGA's Co Secretary Inge Wallaert spoke at a public hearing of the *European Parliament* to demand that the Parliament recognise the fundamental rights of lesbians and gay men within the European union. She asked the Intergovernmental Conference in 1996 to include sexual orientation within an anti discrimination clause in a new European Treaty. Eigil Axgil, a pioneer of the *Danish* gay movement and one of the first gays to marry in the world in Copenhagen in 1989, died in September, aged 71. The *European Union* awards ILGA ECU 150,000 from the Phare Tacis programme for their year long Lesbian And Gay Anti Discrimination Project, in conjunction with the World Health Organization. The money is used to support groups in Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, St. Petersburg and Moscow and includes HIV/AIDS prevention work. *Vice President of the European Union*, Manuel Marin, receives ILGA Secretary General Jordi Petit to discuss human rights and HIV/AIDS work. ***END OF PART 1*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ILGA - International Lesbian and Gay Association 81 Kolenmarkt, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium Phone/Fax +32-2-502-2471, E-mail: ilga@ilga.org A federation of over 300 groups from 75 countries fighting for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. We also have over 100 supportive associate and individual members. Will you join us? Contact us for more info! Date: Mon, 22 Jul 1996 19:30:58 +0200 From: ilga Subject: ilga annual report. pt 2 ILGA Annual Report, in honour of ILGA Day, August 8th. 18 years of lesbian and gay rights. PART II *Note: The following information was placed in tables of the program WORD 6.0. If your e-mail program supports a file transfer and you want this information as an attached WORD 6.0 file, send me a request. Because the conversion to TEXT ONLY wiped out the graphs, the information is listed vertically instead of horizontally. The keys therefore are at the top of the listing. Using the example below: Legal Status of Homosexuality, Africa, KEY: Country, Lesbian (whether lesbian sex is criminalized), Gay Male (whether gay sex is criminalized. LISTING: Algeria, illegal, illegal ---> Lesbian and Gay Male sex are both illegal in Algeria. * If anyone cleans up the text file so that it is not so vertical, please send me a copy. Wishing all of you a very queer ILGA Day, Andy Quan coordinator. * ... and now here's the rest of the report. State of the World in 1996 : Legal Status of Homosexuality Africa Country Lesbian Gay Male Algeria Illegal Illegal Angola Illegal Illegal Benin Illegal Illegal Botswana Not mentioned Illegal Burkina Faso Legal Legal Burundi Not available Not available Cameroon Illegal Illegal Cape Verde Illegal Illegal Central African Republic Not mentioned Not mentioned Chad Not mentioned Not mentioned Comoros Not available Not available Congo Not mentioned Not mentioned Djibouti Not available Not available Egypt Not mentioned Not mentioned Equatorial Guinea Not available Not available Ethiopia Illegal Illegal Gabon Not mentioned Not mentioned Gambia Not available Not available Ghana Not mentioned Illegal Guinea Not available Not available Guinea Bissau Not available Not available Ivory Coast Not mentioned Not mentioned Kenya Not mentioned Illegal Lesotho Not mentioned Not mentioned Liberia Not mentioned Not mentioned Libya Illegal Illegal Madagascar Not mentioned Not mentioned Malawi Illegal Illegal Mali Not available Not available Mauritania Illegal Illegal Mauritius Illegal Illegal Morocco Illegal Illegal Mozambique Not mentioned Illegal Namibia Not mentioned Illegal Niger Not available Not available Nigeria Not mentioned Illegal Reunion Legal Legal Rwanda Not mentioned Not mentioned Sao Tome and Principe Not available Not available Senegal Not mentioned Not mentioned Seychelles Illegal Illegal Sierra Leone Not available Not available Somalia Not available Not available South Africa Legal Legal Sudan Illegal Illegal Swaziland Not mentioned Not mentioned Tanzania Not mentioned Illegal Togo Illegal Illegal Tunisia Illegal Illegal Uganda Not mentioned Illegal Zaire Not mentioned Not mentioned Zambia Not mentioned Illegal Zimbabwe Not mentioned Illegal Americas Country Lesbian Gay Male Antigua & Barbuda Not mentioned Illegal Argentina Not mentioned Not mentioned Aruba Legal Legal Bahamas Illegal Illegal Barbados Illegal Illegal Belize Not mentioned Not mentioned Bermuda Not mentioned Illegal Bolivia Not mentioned Not mentioned Brazil Not mentioned Not mentioned Canada Legal Legal Cayman Islands Not mentioned Illegal Chile Not mentioned Illegal Colombia Not mentioned Not mentioned Costa Rica Not mentioned Not mentioned Cuba Illegal Illegal Dominican Republic Not mentioned Not mentioned Ecuador Not mentioned Illegal El Salvador Not mentioned Not mentioned Falkland Islands / Malvinas Not mentioned Legal French Guyana Legal Legal Greenland Legal Legal Grenada Not available Not available Guadeloupe Legal Legal Guatemala Not mentioned Not mentioned Guyana Illegal Illegal Haiti Not mentioned Not mentioned Honduras Not mentioned Not mentioned Jamaica Not mentioned Illegal Martinique Legal Legal Mexico Not mentioned Not mentioned Netherlands Antilles Legal Legal Nicaragua Illegal Illegal Panama Not mentioned Not mentioned Paraguay Not mentioned Not mentioned Peru Legal Legal Puerto Rico (USA) Illegal Illegal Saint Kitts and Nevis Not available Not available Saint Lucia Illegal Illegal Surinam Legal Legal Trinidad and Tobago Illegal Illegal Turks and Caicos Islands Not mentioned Illegal United States see below see below Uruguay Not mentioned Not mentioned Venezuela Not mentioned Not mentioned United States (legal, by state) Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, New York (State Court decision), New Jersey, Pennsylvania (State Court decision), West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois (the first, 1961), Winconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska and Hawaii. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, New York (State Court decision), New Jersey, Pennsylvania (State Court decision), West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois (the first, 1961), Winconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska and Hawaii. United States (Homosexual anal and oral sex is illegal, by state) Massachusetts, Maryland, District of Columbia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tenessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, Idaho, Utah and Arizona Massachusetts, Maryland, District of Columbia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tenessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, Idaho, Utah and Arizona United States (Anal and oral sex is illegal for both homo- and heterosexuals, by state) Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma (in 1986 the State's highest criminal court decided that application to heterosexual sex was unconstitutional), Texas, Montana, Nevada. Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma (in 1986 the State's highest criminal court decided that application to heterosexual sex was unconstitutional), Texas, Montana, Nevada. Asia-Pacific Country Lesbian Gay Male Afghanistan Illegal Illegal Australia (Federal) Queensland South Australia Tasmania Western Australia Capitol Territory New South Wales Northern Territory Victoria Legal Not mentioned Legal Not mentioned Not mentioned Legal Not mentioned Legal Not mentioned Legal Legal Legal Illegal Legal Legal Legal Legal Not mentioned Bangladesh Illegal Illegal Bhutan Illegal Illegal Brunei Illegal Illegal Burma/Myanmar Not available Not available Cambodia Not mentioned Not mentioned China Not mentioned Not mentioned Cook Islands (New Zealand Associated State) Not mentioned Illegal Fiji Islands Not mentioned Illegal French Polynesia Legal Legal Guam Not available Not available Hong Kong Legal Legal India Not mentioned Illegal Indonesia Not mentioned Not mentioned Japan Not mentioned Not mentioned Kazakhstan Not mentioned Illegal Kiribati Not mentioned Illegal Kyrgyzstan Not mentioned Illegal Laos Not available Not available Macau Legal Legal Malaysia Illegal Illegal Maldives Not available Not available Marshall Islands Not mentioned Not mentioned Micronesia Not mentioned Not mentioned Mongolia Not mentioned Not mentioned Nauru Not available Not available Nepal Illegal Illegal New Caledonia Legal Legal New Zealand Not mentioned Legal Niue (New Zealand Associated State) Not mentioned Illegal North Korea Not mentioned Not mentioned Pakistan Illegal Illegal Papua New Guinea Not mentioned Illegal Philippines Not mentioned Not mentioned Singapore Illegal Illegal Solomon Islands Not mentioned Illegal South Korea Legal Legal Sri Lanka Not mentioned Illegal Taiwan Not mentioned Not mentioned Tajikistan Not mentioned Illegal Thailand Not mentioned Not mentioned Tokelau (New Zealand Associated State) Not mentioned Illegal Tonga Not mentioned Illegal Tuvalu Not mentioned Illegal Turkey Not mentioned Not mentioned Turkmenistan Not mentioned Illegal Uzbekistan Not mentioned Illegal Vanuatu/New Hebrides Not mentioned Not mentioned Vietnam Not mentioned Not mentioned Western Samoa Illegal Illegal Europe Country Lesbian Gay Male Albania Legal Legal Andorra Not mentioned Not mentioned Armenia Not mentioned Illegal Austria Legal Legal Azerbaijan Not mentioned Illegal Belarus Not mentioned Illegal Belgium Legal Legal Bosnia Hercegovina Not mentioned Illegal Bulgaria Legal Legal Croatia Legal Legal Cyprus Not mentioned Illegal Czech Republic Legal Legal Denmark Legal Legal Estonia Legal Legal Faroe Islands Legal Legal Finland Legal Legal France Legal Legal Georgia Not mentioned Illegal Germany Legal Legal Greece Legal Legal Hungary Legal Legal Iceland Legal Legal Ireland Not mentioned legal Italy Legal Legal Latvia Not mentioned Legal Liechtenstein Legal Legal Lithuania Legal Legal Luxembourg Legal Legal Macedonia Not mentioned Illegal Malta Not mentioned Not mentioned Moldova Not mentioned Legal Monaco Legal Legal Montenegro Legal Legal Netherlands Legal Legal Norway Legal Legal Poland Legal Legal Portugal Legal Legal Romania Illegal Illegal Russia Not mentioned Legal San Marino Not mentioned Not mentioned Serbia Legal Legal Slovakia Legal Legal Slovenia Legal Legal Spain Legal Legal Sweden Legal Legal Switzerland Legal Legal Turkey Not mentioned Not mentioned Ukraine Not mentioned Legal United Kingdom Not mentioned Legal Vatican City Not mentioned Not mentioned Middle East Country Lesbian Gay Male Bahrain Illegal Illegal Iran Illegal Illegal Iraq Not mentioned Not mentioned Israel Not mentioned Legal Jordan Illegal Illegal Kuwait Illegal Illegal Lebanon Illegal Illegal Oman Illegal Illegal Qatar Illegal Illegal Saudi Arabia Illegal Illegal Syria Illegal Illegal United Arab Emirates Illegal Illegal Yemen Illegal Illegal State of the World in 1996: Equal Treatment Measures for Lesbians and Gay Men Anti-discrimination laws The following countries have national legislation which bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation: Canada Denmark France Netherlands New Zealand Norway Slovenia South Africa Spain Sweden Partnership laws In the following countries national legislation regulates lesbian and gay partnerships: Denmark Norway Sweden Iceland Note: there are a significant number of countries where such legislation is currently being discussed in parliament. These include Belgium, Finland, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands. In the United States, the Hawaii Supreme Court is expected to rule shortly on whether marriage laws in this US state apply to lesbian and gay couples. In Hungary, Common-Law same-gender relationships are recognized. In cities and municipalities in France, Spain, Belgium and the United States, same-gender relationships are recognized. They are also recognized by some provinces in Canada and Spain, and by various international corporations. Asylum In the following countries sexual orientation has been accepted as a grounds for political asylum Austria Belgium Canada Denmark Finland Germany Netherlands Norway Sweden United States Immigration Lesbians and gay men are allowed to immigrate on the basis of a relationship with a national in the following countries: Australia Denmark Netherlands New Zealand Norway Sweden In Canada and the United Kingdom, partners have been granted residence permits on a case-by-case basis. Military In the following countries a clear official policy states that being lesbian or gay is no bar to serving in the military: Australia Belgium Canada Denmark Estonia Finland Israel Netherlands New Zealand Norway Sweden State of the World in 1996 Lesbian and Gay Organisations and Press Africa Country Organisations Press Botswana Yes None Egypt Informal group(s) None Ghana Yes None Kenya Yes None Lesotho None None Liberia A gay group existed in the late eighties None Nigeria Informal group(s) None South Africa Yes Yes Uganda Informal group(s) None Zimbabwe Yes Yes Americas Country Organisations Press Argentina Yes Yes Belize Yes None Bolivia Yes None Brazil Yes Yes Canada Yes Yes Chile Yes None Colombia Yes Yes Costa Rica Yes Yes Dominican Republic Yes Yes Ecuador Yes Yes El Salvador Yes Yes Guatemala Yes None Honduras Yes None Jamaica A group existed in the eighties None Mexico Yes Yes Netherlands Antilles Yes None Nicaragua Yes None Peru Yes Yes Puerto Rico (USA) Yes Yes Suriname A group existed in the eighties None United States Yes Yes Uruguay Yes None Venezuela Yes None Asia-Pacific Country Organisations Press Australia Yes Yes Bangladesh Informal group(s) None China Yes None Hong Kong Yes Yes India Yes Yes Indonesia Yes Yes Japan Yes Yes Kazakhstan Informal group(s) None Malaysia Yes None New Zealand Yes Yes Pakistan Yes None Philippines Yes Yes Singapore Yes None Sri Lanka Yes None Taiwan Yes None Thailand Yes Yes Turkey Yes Yes Western Samoa Informal group(s) None Europe Country Organisations Press Albania Yes None Austria Yes Yes Azerbaijan None None Belarus Informal group(s) None Belgium Yes Yes Bulgaria Yes Yes Croatia Yes Yes Cyprus Yes None Czech Republic Yes Yes Denmark Yes Yes Estonia Yes Yes Finland Yes Yes France Yes Yes Germany Yes Yes Greece Yes Yes Hungary Yes Yes Iceland Yes Yes Ireland Yes Yes Italy Yes Yes Latvia Yes Yes Liechtenstein None None Lithuania Yes Yes Luxembourg Yes None Malta Yes None Moldova Yes None Netherlands Yes Yes Norway Yes Yes Poland Yes Yes Portugal Yes Yes Romania Yes None Russia Yes Yes Serbia Yes None Slovakia Yes None Slovenia Yes Yes Spain Yes Yes Sweden Yes Yes Switzerland Yes Yes Turkey Yes Yes Ukraine Yes Yes United Kingdom Yes Yes Middle East / West Asia Country Organisations Press Iran None. A group of lesbian and gay refugees operates in Sweden. None Israel Yes Yes ILGA Who are we? The International Lesbian and Gay Association, founded on August 8, 1978 in Coventry, England is the oldest and largest federation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups in the world. Over 18 years, ILGA members have been fighting against discrimination and oppression against lesbians and gay men, fighting for human rights, and fighting for the right to love. What do we do? ILGA members host regular world and regional conferences which bring people from all over the globe together to share experiences and strategize for the future. ILGA produces the only international lesbian and gay news magazine, the ILGA Bulletin. It goes out to everyone from heads of state to small lesbian collectives, from Istanbul to St. Louis and everywhere in between. ILGA sends information to new groups starting up in countries like Sri Lanka, Bolivia, and Kenya. We help member groups and individuals to network with each other. We provide information to academics, lawyers, and students. ILGA lobbies international institutions like the OCSE, the UN, and the European Union to ensure that lesbians and gay men are recognized in international forums and that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is condemned. Some of our Achievements Conferences in Brazil, Mexico and Eastern Europe that drew national attention to lesbian and gay issues. The elimination of homosexuality from the World Health Organization's Classification of Diseases. Contributing to Amnesty International's acceptance of lesbians and gay men imprisoned for their sexuality as "prisoners of conscience." Contributing to the ground breaking European Parliament "Resolution on the equal rights for homosexuals and lesbians in the European Union." How can we do more? ILGA is a federation of groups and individuals from around the world. We exist because of you. Nearly all of our operating expenses come from membership fees and donations. We need your support, involvement, and energy. Join us! Get involved! Get in touch! ILGA 81 Kolenmarkt B 1000 Brussels BELGIUM phone/fx: +32 2 502 2471 e mail:ilga@ilga.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ILGA - International Lesbian and Gay Association 81 Kolenmarkt, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium Phone/Fax +32-2-502-2471, E-mail: ilga@ilga.org A federation of over 300 groups from 75 countries fighting for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. We also have over 100 supportive associate and individual members. Will you join us? Contact us for more info! Date: Mon, 22 Jul 1996 19:38:35 +0200 From: ilga Subject: ilga annual report: appeal (pt 3) ILGA Fundraising Appeal: =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D The Right to Love.... All Over the World! *FOR THE FUTURE* The International Lesbian and Gay Association has existed for 18 years. We've come a long way in that time, and so has the world! Recent years have seen an explosion in new groups, legislation, media coverage, advances and challenges for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people all around the world. We need your help to be able to keep up with the times, to build an effective, professional organization capable of providing services & representation for a new global community! No group can plan for the future without being able to rely on a regular income. ILGA's operating expenses are covered almost entirely by membership fees and donations. Please join us now! Show the world what we're fighting for: the right to love, recognition of our relationships, a world where all of us can feel free and safe and proud no matter who we love. If you recognize the value of our work, please join us as an individual or group member, or make a donation! Thank you for your support. *REASONS TO JOIN ILGA* =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D *you show SOLIDARITY with the international lesbian and gay movement *you SUPPORT THE FIGHT against the oppression of people who love others of the same sex *you MAKE IT POSSIBLE for ILGA to work at the GLOBAL LEVEL with bodies such as the European Union and the United Nations *you show your OPENNESS to the world *you are INFORMED of the latest activities and news concerning lesbians and gays around the world *you PARTICIPATE in the life of the lesbian and gay community on the international level. HELP FUND AN ILGA SPECIAL PROJECT! =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To build on ILGA=92s important achievements ILGA is hiring a new= coordinator. Because of this, there will be extraordinary costs for the last quarter of the year. We need funds: to defray the costs of travel for the candidates to pay for 1 1/2 or 2 salaries during the training period when the old and new coordinator will work together We=92re aiming to raise 4500 BP (7500 USD) and we=92re looking for 75 donations/memberships of 60 BP/ 100 USD. Become part of the =93ILGA 75=94. Join up! Name:____________________________________ Address:__________________________________ _________________________________=09 Country: __________________________________ Tel: (country) ______local____________________ Telefax:___________________________________ E mail:____________________________________ Is this information confidential? ( ) NO ( ) YES Send me information on how my group can join ILGA ( ) MEMBERSHIP: I want to become an individual member of ILGA at the following rate: ordinary: =A330 / $50 USD ( ) supporting: =A360 / $100 USD ( ) sponsorship: =A3100 / $165 USD ( ) other: _________ ( ) =09 All members receive the ILGA Bulletin and all other ILGA Bulletins. Membership is from 1 Jan to 31 Dec. After 30 June, pay 50% (optional). DONATIONS: I support ILGA=92s work. I enclose a donation of ________ PAYMENT: VISA, MASTERCARD, EUROCARD=20 & AMERICAN EXPRESS: Name of Cardholder: _____________________ Card #: _______________________________ Expiry Date: ___________________________ (or send a USD cheque drawn on an US bank or a sterling cheque drawn on a UK bank. For small donations, send cash) ILGA,=20 81 Kolenmarkt,=20 B 1000 Brussels,=20 Belgium Phone / Fax: +32 2 502 2471 E mail: ilga@ilga.org *YOUR HELP MAKES IT HAPPEN* (thanks for listening!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ILGA - International Lesbian and Gay Association=09 81 Kolenmarkt, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium=09 Phone/Fax +32-2-502-2471, E-mail: ilga@ilga.org =09 A federation of over 300 groups from 75 countries fighting for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. We also have over 100 supportive associate and individual members. Will you join us? Contact us for more info!