 |
|
Pen Points
Letters to Gay Today |
|
'The Two Elizabeths'
What's wrong with that? Plenty. Elizabeth Birch and HRC must take full responsibility for the political fiasco which was the recent Millennium March on Washington. No one denies that thousands of good-willed gay citizens enjoyed a day in the sun and in good company. But the march and festival were planned in a thoroughly corporate, top-down, and anti-democratic way from the start. Any political demands which might embarrass Al Gore were either toned down or eliminated from the official program. Any dissenting persons and voices who did make it to the podium were largely quarantined at the end of the day. The march organizers vastly inflated the total number of marchers, and then when serious money was missing they had to do more creative math--and reduce their estimate of the total number of paying customers ($5 a head) for the festival. If Elizabeth Toledo has any spine and spirit, she'll burn the bridge she crossed to be a speaker at the MMOW-- an event NGLTF had refused to endorse. NGLTF deliberately sent mixed messages. On the one hand, their official non-endorsement of the MMOW salvaged a few shreds of "progressive" camouflage. On the other hand, NGLTF is tagging along seeking affiliation and influence with HRC, which has more power and money. So a candidate for NGLTF's top job was chosen who has close ties to HRC and who could go as an NGLTF good-will ambassador to the MMOW event. The Millennium March on Washington was largely a cheerleading event for Al Gore's campaign. It was also a stepping stone in the political careers of various HRC players, including Elizabeth Birch herself. It's an open secret that she'd dearly love a job in the White House.
Even those of us who might vote for the lesser of two evils in the next election should have no illusions about Al Gore. Gore is no progressive. He will open some doors for a few lesbian and gay people-- carefully screened to follow his orders. Let's be real about that deal. And let's keep the heat on HRC and NGLTF if they continue doing business as usual. Scott Tucker Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Amnesty International: Its GLBT Concerns Grow Amnesty International demands equal rights and dignity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people.
"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. |
NGLTF's Elzabeth Toledo 
HRC's Elizabeth Birch 
© 1997-2000 BEI