Amnesty International demands
equal rights for GLBT people
by Daniel Soto Mayorga
Special to Q-Notes
ROME, ITALY—In a statement released
June 29, Amnesty International said that gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender people around
the world are still often not recognized as “equal
in dignity and rights” and _________
continue to face repression
and harassment.
The organization’s Ital
ian Section and LGBT Net
work held an “International
LGBT Human Rights Rally
and Press Conference” on
July 2 in Rome, in conjunc
tion with World Pride
2000, on the human rights
of GLBT people.
In countries as diverse
as Argentina and Malaysia,
Brazil and Romania, Austria and Venezuela,
Australia and Saudi Arabia, the United King
dom and Zimbabwe, and many more, people
are persecuted, discriminated against, arrested,
tortured and even killed for their sexual orien
tation.
“The rights to freely determine one’s sexual
orientation — a fundamental aspect of the
human personality — and to express it with
out 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
“The rights to freely
determine one's
sexual orientation
and to express it
without fear are
human rights in the
fullest sense."
Flag
Continued from page 1
a Confederate battle flag on Statehouse grounds
in the year 2000.
Following the performance, the Stepdaugh- ,
ters distributed flyers telling about some of the
folks who have been immortalized in bronze
on the SC Statehouse grounds. For example.
Gov. Benjamin Ryan Tillman’s intimidation of
African Americans who attempted to vote in
the early 20th Century is legendary. Special
Coke
Continued from page 1
and retaining the most diverse workforce in the
world,” Coke said in its statement. “Our goal
is to ensure that the Coca-Cola Company is
the best place for all people to work.This ex
tension of benefits is another step toward
achieving that goal.”
“Coca-Cola has provided world-class lead
ership to the beverage industry, and to the busi
ness community in . . . Georgia by taking this
historic action,” said Harry Knox of the Geor
gia Equality Project (GEP), which represents
Georgia’s GLBT citizens. The GEP also played
a key role in working with the company and
KOLAGE to help bring about the new policy.
GEP also unveiled a new initiative to per
suade nine other Georgia-based companies,
including Home Depot, BellSouth, Delta Air
lines, Wachovia, and UPS to provide domes
tic-partner benefits to their gay and lesbian
employees.
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Q-Notes ▼ July 22, 2000 ▼ PAGE 5
be supported at any time,” the organizadon added.
During World Pride 2000 in Rome, Am
nesty International was drawing special atten
tion to GLBT human rights in Europe, where
the organization’s main human GLBT concerns
lie with Eastern Europe, Romania, Cyprus and
___________ Austria. During the whole
World Pride week, a spe
cial petition signing action
on the age of consent in
Austria was held in the
World Pride Village and
the streets of Rome.
Article 209 of the Aus
trian penal code 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.”
Similar punishments do not exist for iden
tical lesbian or heterosexual contacts. As such,
Amnesty argues the article violates the Austrian
Government’s obligations under international
law to guarantee equal treatment and non-dis
crimination for all individuals in the enjoyment
of human rights. World Pride 2000, the largest
Pride event of this year, offered the right forum
for GLBT human rights defenders from South
America, Africa and Europe to spotlight their
mention was also given to Dr. J. Marion Sims,
the father of gynecology, who learned his pro
fession by practicing on female slaves in the
19th Century.
When the new Confederate flag went up at
the Soldier’s monument, the Stepdaughters
handed out hundreds of yellow “SHAME” signs
provided by the SC Progressive Network and
distributed some 1500 whistles to “Blow the
whistle on racism.” It was obvious from the con
frontation during and after the ceremony that
this debate is far from over. T
Some companies in Georgia are behind the
times in their treatment of their lesbian and
gay employees,” said Knox. “We are launching
this initiative because our gay daughters, sons,
fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins
should receive benefits for their dependent fam
ily members just like everyone else.
More than 3400 private and public employ
ers provide these benefits to their employees.
So far this year, an everage of five employers a
week are announcing these benefits, according
to HRC’s WorkNet, which tracks these trends.
Earlier in June, DaimlerChrysler Corp., Ford
Motor Co., and General Motors Corp., along
with the United Auto Workers union, an
nounced they would offer health care coverage
to same-sex partners of all eligible US employ
ees. It was the first time an entire industry, along
with its leading union, announced domestic
partner benefits simultaneously. Additionally,
more than half of the Fortune 500 include
sexual orientation in their non-discrimination
policies. T
“You don’t have to see God
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“I hadn’t been going to church for five
years, because I couldn’t believe in
anything. I wanted something I could
relate to as a woman, a lesbian
woman.”
“It was the same for both of us. Walking
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feeling immediately at home. We felt
welcomed. We dk^nt have to be dijferent
people — we could be ourselves. ”
“We could be together...a couple. No
one was going to kick us out.”
“It goes way, way beyond tolerance.
Unitarian Universalists encourage
diversity and acceptance. ”
“I mean not everyone is Ozzie and
Harriet.”
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