* News Release Issued by the International
Secretariat of Amnesty International *
29 June 2000
AI Index ACT 79/002/2000
News Service Nr. 127
Rome 2 July 2000
Amnesty International
demands equal rights and dignity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgendered people
Lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgenderd
people around the world are still often not recognized as
"equal in dignity and rights" and continue facing
repression and harassment, Amnesty International said today. The
organization's Italian Section and LGBT Network are organizing an
"International LGBT Human Rights Rally and Press
Conference" to be held in Rome on 2 July on the human rights
of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people.
In countries as diverse as Argentina and Malaysia, Brazil and
Romania, Austria and Venezuela, Australia and Saudi Arabia, the
United Kingdom and Zimbabwe, and many more, people are
persecuted, discriminated against, arrested, tortured and even
killed for their sexual orientation.
"The rights to freely determine one's sexual orientation --
a fundamental aspect of the human personality -- and to express
it without fear are human rights in the fullest sense,"
Amnesty International said.
"The struggle of gay people for equality is a struggle for
human rights, and as such it must be supported at any time,"
the organization added.
The Rome event will comprise:
- International press conference, 2 July, 11 a.m., Campidoglio
(Mayor's office) -- speakers include: Marco de Ponte, Vice
president Amnesty International Italy; Katia Bellillo, Italian
Minister of Equal Opportunities; Patricia Lambert, Special
Delegate from the Minister of Health of South Africa; Ms
Lousewies van der Laan, Member of European Parliament.
- International LGBT Human Rights Rally, 2 July, 18.30, Circo
Massimo -- Joint welcome by Amnesty International Italy and World
Pride 2000; speeches by the above speakers
As World Pride 2000 takes place in Europe, Amnesty International
draws special attention to LGBT human rights in Europe, where the
organization's main human LGBT concerns lie with Eastern Europe,
Romania, Cyprus, and Austria. During the whole World Pride week,
a special petition signing action on the age of consent in
Austria will be held in the World Pride Village and the streets
of Rome.
Background
Article 209 of the Austrian penal code violates the Austrian
Government's obligations under international law to guarantee
equal treatment and non-discrimination for all individuals in the
enjoyment of human rights. Article 209 states: 'A man over 19
years of age who engages in same-sex lewdness with a person who
has attained the age of 14 but not yet the age of 18 shall be
punished with imprisonment from six months to five years'. Sexual
relations between men are not punishable if both partners are
between the ages of 14 and 19. However, the organization is
concerned that gay men over the age of 19 engaged in consensual
sexual relations with other males under the age of 18 face
imprisonment. Similar punishments do not exist for identical
lesbian or heterosexual contacts. All petition lists will be
offered to the Austrian Government after July 15, 2000.
Pride events in Europe, the United States and Australia, as well
as in South Africa, have become the celebration of of lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender culture in the nineties, often
assembling hundreds of thousands of visitors. 'Stonewall riots'
in New York on 27 June 1969, sparked off a second world-wide lgbt
liberation movement. Pride events are tranditionally also an
important forum to focus on LGBT human rights. World Pride 2000,
being the largest Pride event in the year 2000, offers the right
forum for LGBT human rights defenders from South America, Africa
and Europe in the spotlight.
Amnesty International's "International Lesbian Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender Network" presently comprises approximately
27 national Amnesty Sections and structures in the same number of
countries around the world. The number of international LGBT
human rights actions initiated by the organization is rapidly
increasing and LGBT human rights concerns form an integral part
of Amnesty International's general human rights work since 1991.
ENDS.../
Amnesty International, International Secretariat, 1 Easton
Street, WC1X 8DJ, London, United Kingdom
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