ILGA, the International Lesbianadjective/noun to describe a woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves. More and Gayadjective to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional
attractions are to people of the same gender. Men, women and non-binary people may use this
term to describe themselves. More Association is an international network of activists created in 1978. It has been actively involved with the United Nationsan international organisation comprising 193 member States. It has the mission of maintaining peace and security, protecting human rights, providing humanitarian aid and ensuring economic and social development across the globe. It is a network of many different bodies and agencies, each of which has a particular role and responsibility. More for a number of years: the first speech mentioning homosexuality in an UN forum was made in its name in August 1992.
In April 2003, Brazil presented a resolution on sexual orientationrefers to a person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to - and intimate and sexual relations with - individuals of a different gender or the same gender or more than one gender. More at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva (UNCHR). The text banned all discriminationunequal or unfair treatment which can be based on a range of grounds - such as age, ethnic background, disability, and diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions or sex characteristics, amongst others. More on the grounds of sexual orientation and simply asserted that sexual diversity is an integral part of Universal Human Rights.
In 2005, for the third year in a row, the UN Commission did not discuss nor vote the Brazilian initiative.
The Brazilian resolution finally dropped off the official agenda of the UNCHR this year. But the topic of sexual orientation was quite present in Geneva throughout the Commission.
In an atmosphere tainted by a possible reform of this UN body and the death of the Pope, a number of governements made public statements pushing the UN to address sexual orientation and defend it as a human right, international Ngos drew attention to the topic by organising public debates, activists gave speeches in the plenary room.
ILGA brought 27 activists from around the world in Geneva to make sure sexual diversity and Gender Identityrefers to a person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth. More would not be forgotten at the United Nations
It is our pleasure to introduce you to…
ILGA organised 4 public panels within the United Nations:
Multiple discrimination suffered by Lesbians
Trade Unions and their role in the struggle for equality of LGBT people
LGBT voices from the UN
Read the speeches given by activists
In the name of 32 countries, New Zealand gave a public statement in favour of a UN resolution on sexual orientation and Human rights.
Read this speech and other governments’ statements
Next ILGA World Conference: Geneva 2006!
In 2006, ILGA 23rd World Conference will be held simutaneously in Geneva with the UN Commission on Human Rights
Other resources
A list of resources to better understand the debate on sexual orientation and gender identity at the UN
We wish to thank Arc International for their help in compiling this information.