Date: Mon, 28 Nov 1994 10:07:17 -0500 (GMT-0500) From: "Thomas W. Holt Jr." Subject: Eastern European Lesbian Networking (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 25 Nov 1994 14:54:08 -0500 From: David B. O'Donnell To: Multiple recipients of list GLB-NEWS Subject: Eastern European Lesbian Networking [ Send all responses to JULIE.MERTUS@ZAMIR-BG.ZTN.ZER.DE only. Any responses to the list or list-owners will be returned to you. ] Eastern European Lesbian Networking One of the biggest female events of the European fall of 1994, was certainly the Vienna NGO Forum, a preparatory meeting for the UN Conference on Women in Beijing 1995. Women from (almost) all over the Europe and North America, gathered to make their language for the UN Document. It was a huge and very important meeting, although several aspects of the conference were very disappointing from the Eastern European point of view. First, I was disappointed to discover that I was the only out Eastern European lesbian, on the Lesbian workshop, in attendance. I had a support of three other out Eastern European lesbians (two from Hungary and one from Yugoslavia) who were, unfortunately, fully engaged in other workshops and couldn't attend this one. Lesbians from Eastern Europe are not to be blamed for this poor showing, because they never had the chance to be there. Both money and lack of information kept them away. I myself was confused by what was expected of me at such a conference, but now I realize the importance of being involved in drafting language for these large conferences. If I hadn't been there, the language on lesbian human rights would not have addressed Eastern European Lesbians concerns at all. Second, I was dismayed at the patronizing and dismissive attitude of the ILGA representatives, lesbians who were leading the workshop on lesbian human rights. They have no understanding whatsoever of our problems because our problems are so different from theirs (If Eastern Europeans were better organized and more present at those thirteen ILGA's Conferences, something like that wouldn't have happened!) They kept asking for concrete suggestions with which I could lobby my government, not even realizing that it is insane to suggest that anyone lobby the Serbian government. Fortunately, Rachel Rosenbloom, from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, was there. If they didn't respect me, at least they respected her, and she somehow understood that those of us from the East have different concerns. For example, I pushed hard for the inclusion of education as a goal, because that is the only means we have for reaching the public -- demonstrations are out of the question! I also suggested that we include the language "lesbians, single women, and women who are not attached to men" because many Eastern European lesbians do not identify themselves as lesbians. We were able to get this language into the document, largely as a product of Rachel's efforts, but the final result was like we haven't done anything during those two days. I'm sure it would not be so hard if more Eastern European lesbians were there. I could only speak for women from my region; I worry about the concerns of all of the lesbians who were excluded. It would also not be so hard if we had more support. I am a part of a lesbian and gay right organization -- ARKADIJA -- that operates without any budget whatsoever. I have been talking to Rachel Wareham (presently working for the Women's Anti-War Center in Croatia) about creating an Eastern European lesbian network to make our problem more visible than it is, and Shelly Anderson (ILIS) of the Netherlands offered her full support. All three of us are working on this ever since the meeting, but we are facing a lot of difficulties. Getting in touch with Eastern European lesbians is not the easiest thing to do. Usually they don't have addresses which could be publicized, they are not members of any international gay and lesbian associations, they don't attend gay and lesbian international events. They exist only for themselves, usually cut off from the rest of the world. Their main problem, being invisible in their own countries becomes even worse by remaining invisible in the women's human rights and the western lesbian community as well. In order to do something about that and improve our position, I would ask everybody who has any connections with Eastern European lesbian groups, to pass on this information or give me the clue how to get in touch with them. I can be reached at the following e-mail address: Jelica.Todosijevic@zamir-bg.ztn.zer.de Jelica Todosijevic Arkadija - Belgrade ## CrossPoint v3.0 ##