Το Συμβούλιο της Ευρώπης για την Διεθνή Ημέρα κατά της Ομοφυλοφοβίας και της Τρανσφυλοφοβίας.

http://www.homophobiaday.org/
Αύριο 17 Μαίου είναι η Διεθνής Ημέρα Κατά της Ομοφυλοφοβίας. Με την ευκαιρία της ημέρας, ο Terry Davis, Γενικός Γραμματέας της Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης (COE), έκανε την δήλωση, που βρίσκουμε στο ακόλουθο Δελτίο Τύπου του COE εδώ:

Press release - 395(2009)
International Day against Homophobia, 17 May
Statement by Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Strasbourg, 15.05.2009 - “Everyone knows that homosexuals were arrested and sent to concentration camps by the Nazis, but it is less well known that after they were freed from the camps, many homosexuals were forced to serve out their terms of imprisonment. This may seem shocking, but it was consistent with the deeply rooted discrimination against homosexuals in Europe at that time. And it was also consistent with the discrimination against homosexuals in the decades which followed. It was not until 1990 that the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from their list of mental illnesses and, until a few years ago, homosexuality was still a criminal offence in several European countries.

Today, being a homosexual will no longer, at least not in a member state of the Council of Europe, result in being put in prison, but discrimination and homophobia still exist and not only on the margins of society. I condemn the homophobic violence perpetrated by skinheads, but it is heads of some political parties that I am really worried about. It is unacceptable that some people in positions of official or moral authority in Europe still behave as if the European Convention on Human Rights does not apply to homosexuals. People who discriminate often invoke morality to justify their attitude. They are making a relevant point, but they are getting it wrong. It is not the homosexuals who are immoral. It is the homophobes.

Council of Europe Directorate of Communication
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11
pressunit@coe.int
www.coe.int
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Επίσης από την ιστοσελίδα της International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia - IDAHO, αντιγράφω την ανακοίνωση:

Join 300 organisations in 75 countries, 3 Nobel Prize Laureats and many more. Sign our International Appeal to Reject Transphobia and to Respect Gender Identity
Thu, May 14, 2009

Each year, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (the “IDAHO”, as it is usually called), will see actions and initiatives take place in many countries and contexts and on many different issues.

All these activities and initiatives are a very strong signal to all, decisions makers, public opinion, civil rights movements, human rights defenders, etc. throughout the world that our fights for our Rights as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, intersex, etc… is vibrant!

The Day provides all different kind of actors with a very powerful opportunity to express their demands and to advocate for their case. Each year also, the IDAHO aims at using the extra public, political and media attention that it provides at all levels to highlight one specific aspect of the struggle for sexual rights.

This year, we chose to highlight the often neglected but important issue of Transphobia.

- Read the Appeal in English
- SIGN THE APPEAL
- See the list of personalities already supporting the Appeal
- See the list of organisations that already support the Appeal
- Read our full media briefing
- Read our Media Release