Date: Wed, 20 Sep 95 03:23:43 ARG
From: ales@wamani.apc.org (Alejandra Sarda)

LESBIAN ACTION AGAINST ARGENTINEAN GOVERNMENT'S STANCE IN
BEIJING

On Saturday, September 16, Lesbianas a la Vista (Lesbians on
Sight) organized an action to protest against the local
government stance at the IV UN Conference on the Status of
Women, held in Beijing, China.

With our faces painted in white and our bodies covered by dark
colored clohtes, 12 women from Lesbianas a la Vista, -joined
by another lesbian group, Convocatoria Lesbiana, plus a few
autonomous lesbians-  paraded alongside one of Buenos Aires
main streets carrying banners that read: "Lesbian rights are
human rights", "Beijing '95: Menem [the Argentinean
president], the Pope and the Ayatollah; together they stopped
us", "Women stand for our right to love each other" and "In
Menem's Argentina, we are more invisible than ever".

Our clothes and make-up were meant to  symbolize the mourning
for the exclusion of our rights from Beijing's final statement
and also were aimed at denouncing what conservative forces
wish for lesbians: our invisibility and finally our
elimination.

There were many people on the street we paraded along. Most of
them stopped to read the banners, to make comments and to
express their solidarity with our claims. A few mothers read
the banners out for their children and encourage them to talk
to us.

It was so inspiring that we plan to continue this type of
actions in a near future.

Lesbianas a la Vista:
Adriana Stella, Alejandra Sarda, Bibi Lorenzano, Chela Amadio,
Fabiana Tron, Laura Eiven, Monica Pavicich, Monica Santino,
Sandra Saavedra and Veronica Garcia.

Piedras 1170 1ero.B 
(1070) Buenos Aires, Argentina
Phones: 54-1-307 66 56 / 931 96 48
E.mail: ales@wamani.apc.org