LGBT P R I D E WEEK
Barcelona 2003
FOR
EQUALITY FROM DIVERSITY 34 years ago, in New York, for the first time transsexuals, gays, lesbians and bisexual fought back the police who was raiding homosexual nightclubs and was extorting its owners. We have managed to earn the right of assembly and to expand progressively our freedoms; we have been coming out and asking the society for the same rights as heterosexuals enjoy. Since then, 80 countries in the world have legalized homosexuality and 12 have recognized same-sex domestic partnerships; however, every two days a murder due to homofobia occurs in places such as Mexico and Brazil; 70 countries still prosecute gays and lesbians and the death penalty is applied to us in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Chechnya, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Mauritania, Pakistan, Sudan and The Yemen. The Vatican State, in alliance with Catholic regimens and Islamic fundamentalists, continues to boycott the inclusion of sexual orientation in the United Nations agenda. In Spain, the bishops have the same homofobia than in old times, challenging the decisions of the autonomic parliaments that recognize same-sex domestic partnerships and opposing to the use of condoms against HIV/AIDS; they do not even respect the decisions of the European Parliament. As long as the Catholic hierarchy violates human rights and attempts against public health, it does not deserve any support from the State. Any person who has not yet filled her tax declaration, should remember to send contributions to NGOs and to leave blank the optional contribution to the Catholic Church. In Catalonia, in spite of a limited same-sex partnership and social support, the administration does not want to recognize us as a family, and we do not have the same rights as heterosexual citizens, such as the right to marry. Everyone should be able to manage their personal relations as they wish, in the same conditions, even, those who want to choose marriage. Nowadays, we are only equal in taxes and duties. Though we have obtained important advances, we cannot deny that the daily language is full of insulting expressions and that showing our affection in public is still a challenge. For this reason, we celebrate the courage of so many people who have publicly come out as homosexuals during these years, people who have helped to show the diversity of the LGBT community. The volunteers from associations that have worked anonymously for so many years for our rights and against HIV/AIDS also deserve our applause and recognition. We want a future where no person is discriminated because of its ethnicity, disability, cultural or national origin, disease, religion, language, sex, gender or sexual orientation. From diversity we want equality because being different does not have to imply being unequal in rights. We believe in a society who respects the affinities of any community and the differences of the individuals: there is no other norm than plurality. WE STAND for an equal education that does not ignore sexual diversity. It is necessary to educate in the respect of the difference and to avoid the discrimination of young lesbians, gays, transsexuals and bisexuals. Our universities have to include lesbians, gays, transsexuals and bisexuals studies in their teaching and research. It is time for professional unions to include in their formation sexual diversity; something which nowadays, unfortunately, many still do not do. WE PROPOSE to unions and enterprises to stop workplace discriminations and to give same benefits for domestic partners as the ones enjoyed by married couples. We want to see it reflected in each and every labor agreements; we want a workplace free of any discrimination because of sexual orientation or gender. WE ASK once more for respect of lesbians, gays, transsexuals and bisexuals affected with HIV/AIDS, because they endure a double oppression and we energetically denounce the difficulties of HIV positive people in finding a job. When they gain a better life quality, they meet a real civil death. The struggle against HIV/AIDS HAS NOT FINISHED YET; on the contrary, the partial success of the new medications does not have to make us forget either the painful side effects of these drugs or the gravity of the disease. In Barcelona, 18 % of the gay population carries HIV. More resources are needed, also more solidarity and more commitment from everybody (enterprises, institutions and individuals) in order to win this battle and not to lower the guard. THE SITUATION OF LGBT ELDERS worries us, a generation who has lived the worst of Francoist repression, easy victims of delinquency and headed to a difficult situation in retirement houses. We understand that home care has to be an option that the public administrations should prioritize. Therefore, WE CLAIM for the rehabilitation of the people prosecuted by the former Law of Social Dangerousness and we want for them the same pensions and compensations that have received the political ex-prisoners of the dictatorship. HOMOPARENTAL FAMILIES are today realities that ask for society’s support and for institutional recognition. Laws of adoption which include LGBT couples and shared legal custody in domestic partnerships are needed: maternity and paternity are more than a biological situation limited to heterosexuals. Moreover, we want for our children the same treatment enjoyed by the rest of children. LGBT couples must have the same rights and the same duties that heterosexual ones, the most important being the adoption of children and the nationalization of a foreign partner. TRANSGENDER people happen to endure more discriminations than anybody else, especially at the workplace, and in the health system, when they ask for genital reassignment surgery. It is necessary that transgender associations are consulted and listened before the approval of any law that may affect them. The rights of LGBT people are simply human rights, and we celebrate them together with the whole society. Much remains to be done and we feel really proud of everything that we have won. Because we love each other, and ourselves, we want equality from diversity. Barcelona,
June 2003
Friday, June 27 2003
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