Dia Internacional contra la Homofobia y la Transfobia

An impressive global program for the 7th edition of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia is taking place around May 17th with hundreds of events planned in over 50 countries. The Day’s activities take place among growing international tensions between progressive developments and reactionary outbursts, including the now infamous Ugandan ‘anti-gay’ bill which again risks being passed in the Parliament this very week.

All over the world, thousands of activists are gearing up for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, also known by its acronym IDAHO. This year’s IDAHO will break records of mobilisation and outreach, as an estimated 50 million people will be exposed to campaign messages in about 50 countries, calling for an end to discrimination and violence against people on the grounds of sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Amongst many noteworthy events, organisations in 14 countries across Latin America will unite in a common campaign and unfold dozens of public activities to denounce the ‘Cures that Kill’, the so-called ‘therapies’ to supposedly ‘cure’ sexual and gender diversity, often driving people to suicide. This regional campaign has launched an appeal and invites citizens across the world to support this call online at:  http://www.dayagainsthomophobia.org

European Rainbow Cities Barcelona

Rainbow Cities is an European conference part of AHEAD (Against Homophobia. European Local Adminstration Devices. Currently being held in Barcelona with the purpose of creating a white paper on LGBT successful practices and public policies to be used a guideline for policy makers  and local governments across the EU.

Some highlights on the first day of the conference would be:

A general tension between EU policies, local initiatives and social realities reflected on a very wide variety of points of view across the the 27 states of the union. eastern and western Europe perspectives and legislation. Being very different culturally and historically  as Roman Kuhar from the University of Ljubljana (Slovenja) revealed on his presentation, Western and Eastern European countries show the whole spectrum of Homonegative attitudes towards LGBT diversity in their societies.

In contrast a very big number of educational, social and civil society initiatives to fight homophobia are taking place in all countries and a network that connects them seem to be a very urgent need to articulate a powerful change in the future of the young generations. The tools seem to be there but the interconnection channel between thm seem to be non-existent.
The Italian network RE.A.DY as presented by Luca Cipriani from the Torino Town hall seem to have no political objections or inconveniences for their activities during any government (left or right winged) a presentation that really generated doubts among participates knowing the current realities widespread in the news about the conservative government and lgbt rights in Italy.

Even when LGBT and the Fight against Homophobia  is generally underfunded in most countries of the union, we could say there is a generalized awareness and a positive trend in the EU for achieving more and better standards for LGBT communities and homophobia eradication. We just hope underfunding is just a temporary situation and not an strategy to keep activists quiet and networks grow as strong as RE:A:DY claims to be to make homophobia a problem of the past.

Multidiscrimination and Interseccionality are also on the spotlight of the conference. This approach considers discrimination as being possible from multiple aspects combined with sexual orientation and gender identity as could be religion, origin, social or economic background, etc.

Conclusions are still to be heard and hopefully a very good with the withe paper will be done.

 

Amor Universal Love´s first preview exhibition in Barcelona

Five years have passed since we started this project with the support of the NYU Fales Library, NYC LGBT Center and Visual Aids. Now AmorUniversaLove moves to Europe to start a new journey starting in Barcelona.

In a new and very different context, the historical research and artistic references have grown exponentially, new points of view, cultures and information have become part of an already eclectic body of work.


The first Barcelona preview exhibition will include a collection of works from cartoonists and graphic novel artists from Catalonia, Interviews with local activists who shaped the path of what the we enjoy today in Spain, being of the countries in the world with equal Civil rights granted to the LGBT community, and a press board where the history of recent years can be checked at a glance.

This first preview exhibition will be held at the main hall of the CCOO (Workers Guild of Catalonia) to celebrate the annual day against homophobia, trying to capture the attention of companies and syndicates about homophobia at the workplace. We have gathered 4 experts that will discuss on a workshop facts about this issue and testimonials of the subtle way discrimination is currently held in many companies and multinationals.

It is an exciting experience to develop a whole new research about the struggles people and leaders have been trough in Spain and specially in Catalonia during and after Franco´s dictatorship and the way certain things still remain in everyday life.

We have found that Catalonia´s  LGBT history is full of initiatives, creative leaders and vision that still fight for a better life and understanding of sexual diversity.

Research and materials are still in development, new artists, organizations and publications will certainly be included and hopefully very soon, the whole project will be traveling across towns and be exhibited in local libraries and community centers.