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Our Sexualities, Our Genders, Our Bodies
Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender RIGHTS!
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and lesbian-led groups in
Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines are marking the confluence of 3 important events – 16 Days
of Activism Campaign to end violence against women, the international launches of the
Yogyakarta Principles, and the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The following activities are proposed during the 16 Days of Activism campaign, which takes place
annually from November 25 to December 10. Our theme for the proposed activities is: “Our
Sexualities, Our Genders, Our Bodies ~ Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender RIGHTS!”
ACTIVITIES
1. Create a banner
The banner will consist of panels of fabric that visually represent LGBT activism in Asia,
particularly lesbian, bisexual and FTM transgender (LBT) activism. The visual theme of the
banner is the image of a dandelion dispersing seeds [http://www.yogyakartaprinciples.org/].
Each panel must be no more than 23 inches by 18.5 inches including a 1 inch blank border on
all four sides. We suggest that the panel be made of lightweight fabric, preferably cotton, of
any color. Participating countries are encouraged to be creative with their panel – they can
write/paint a poem, embroider or make a photo collage representing their activism or
message. Make sure it’s waterproof and firmly affixed. DEADLINE: October 15, 2008.
Submitted panels cannot be returned. Join the Banner Egroup for more details.
Participating countries should send their panels to
Ma. Cristina M. Cristobal, IGLHRC Asia Projects Coordinator, c/o
14-A Matulungin St., Brgy. Central Quezon City, Philippines 1100.
2. Gather video and stills footage of launches of the Yogyakarta Principles (YyP) in
your countries.
The footage should show:
significance of the YyP for local LGBT activists in Asia; launches of YyP
Asian LGBT activism and particularly lesbian, bisexual and transgender (FTM) activism;
comments from local activists and allies including LGBT-supportive human rights
commissioners about struggles and successes in defending LGBT human rights in Asia,
specifically the rights of LGBT people who are frequently more invisible and
marginalized.
A video team will include the footage received from around Asia to create a documentary that
will be available in time for screenings during the 2009 International Day Against Homophobia
(IDHAO). The video team will also document the linking of the banner panels and creation of
the final banner that will journey through countries in Asia before reaching its final destination
in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. So far, the countries on the journey are Philippines, Thailand and
Indonesia. Contact IGLHRC if your group wants the video team to document activities in your
country. Each country is responsible for organizing the activities, media outreach, and
logistical arrangements for the banner’s travel in that country.
Participating countries should send their video and stills footage to
Ma. Cristina M. Cristobal, IGLHRC Asia Projects Coordinator, c/o
14-A Matulungin St., Brgy. Central Quezon City, Philippines 1100.
Email: gcristobal@iglhrc.org
3. Gather in Yogyakarta on December 10.
Be part of activities in Yogyakarta being coordinated by Indonesian LGBT activists. Planned
activities (tentatively) include a parade and performances to celebrate the arrival of the YyP
banner, mark the end of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, and commemorate the 60th
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 2008.
JOIN US!!!
We are inviting individual LGBT activists and groups to join these activities. We have set up an
Egroup for exchange of ideas about your local activities in line with this regional project. To join
the Egroup, please email: gcristobal@iglhrc.org and give the following info: Name of
Individual(s), Name of group, Country, Contact info, Email address. Indicate which activities you
are interested in joining. You can join in all the activities if you like. We will get in touch with your
group as soon as possible.
POSSIBLE SOURCES FOR ACTIVITIES FUNDING
Global Fund for Women
1375 Sutter Street, Suite 400
San Francisco, CA 94109, USA
Email: asiapac@globalfundforwomen.org
Phone: (1-415) 202-7640
Fax: (1-415) 202-8604
Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice (Movement Resource Fund)
ATTN: Namita Chad, Program Officer
116 East 16th Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10003
Email: nchad@astraeafoundation.org
Phone: 1.212.529.8021
Fax: 1.212.982.3321
Mama Cash
1e Helmersstraat 17
P.O. Box 15686
1001 ND Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Email: info@mamacash.nl Website:www.mamacash.nl/english
Phone: 31-20-689-36-34
Fax: 31-20-683-46-47
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What is the Yogyakarta Principles?
In 2006, in response to well-documented patterns of abuse against LGBT people, a distinguished
group of international human rights experts met in Yogyakarta, Indonesia to outline a set of
international principles relating to sexual orientation and gender identity. The result was the
Yogyakarta Principles: a universal guide to human rights which affirm binding international legal
standards for how governments and other actors should end violence, abuse, and discrimination
against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, and ensure full equality. Each principle is
accompanied by detailed recommendations to states on how to end discrimination and abuse.
The principles also call for action from the UN’s human rights system, national human rights
institutions, the media, nongovernmental organizations, and others. The full text of the
Yogyakarta Principles, along with supporting materials, can be found online at
yogyakartaprinciples.org
Q: What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is the first international document which was
adopted in 1948 that defines the set of human rights that are universally applicable, inalienable,
indivisible, interdependent and inherent to every person in the world without distinction of any
kind, such as of sex, race, age, color, language, political or other opinion religion, sexual
orientation, gender identity or expression. Human rights laws and documents provide the
framework and foundation for all people, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
intersex (LGBTI) communities, to challenge the torture, abuse, discrimination, and criminal
status that so many of us face. For more details please visit
http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm
Q: When did the 16 Days of Activism Campaign start?
According to the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) website, the 16 Days of Activism
Against Gender Violence is an international campaign that was started in 1991. The 16 Days runs
from November 25, International Day Against Violence Against Women to December 10,
International Human Rights Day to symbolically link violence against women and human rights
and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights. This 16-day period also
highlights other significant dates including December 1, which is World AIDS Day, and December
6, which marks the Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre in 1989, when 14 women students
were massacred by a lone gun-man opposed to the affirmative action policies promoted by
feminists at the University of Montreal.
Since it began, the 16 Days of Activism has been used as an organizing strategy by women’s
groups to call for the elimination of violence against women by: raising awareness about gender
based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels;
strengthening local work around violence against women; establishing a clear link between local
and international work to end violence against women; providing a forum in which organizers can
develop and share effective strategies; demonstrating the solidarity of women around the world
organizing against violence against women; creating tools to pressure governments to implement
promises made to eliminate violence against women. Visit http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/
By linking the activism and struggles of lesbians, bisexual women and transgender communities
to 16 Days of Activism, we are highlighting communities that are marginalized by many social
justice movements, including women’s movements. For more details about this activity, contact:
gcristobal@iglhrc.org
Q: Why is the theme focusing on lesbians, bisexuals and FTM and not all LGBT?
The objective of the event is to highlight LGBT activism in Asia for the rights to gender and
sexual diversity, with special focus on lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LBT) women to give
special attention to the concerns of LBT communities that are still largely marginalized and
unprotected from discrimination and violence on the basis of sexual orientation and expression,
gender identity and expression.
Q: Why is the video team only traveling to 3 countries in Asia – Thailand, Philippines,
and Indonesia?
Due to budget constraints the journey of the banner is limited to Southeast Asian countries
preferably those closest in proximity to Indonesia where the banner journey will culminate in
Yogyakarta. So far, Thailand and the Philippines already have planned activities that will fall
within the 16 Days of Activism - - Thailand on November 29 and the Philippines on December 6,
2008. Interested organizations from other countries can contact ILGHRC if they want the video
team to cover their activities or they can document their activities and send photos or video
footage to:
Ma. Cristina M. Cristobal
Asia Projects Coordinator, IGLHRC
c/o 14-A Matulungin St., Brgy. Central
Quezon City, Philippines 1100.
Email: gcristobal@iglhrc.org
Q: What is IDAHO?
The International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) is celebrated every 17th of May. This date
was chosen because homosexuality was removed from the International Classification of Diseases
of the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 17, 1990. In 2003 the Canadian organization
Foundation Emergence instituted a similar event, the National Day Against Homophobia on June
1 and has since then changed it to May 17. There are 86 countries in the world today where it is
a criminal offense to be gay. These countries punish women, men and children because of their
sexuality and in seven countries the punishment is death. The IDAHO aims to coordinate
international events to call respect for LGBT world-wide. Unlike the LGBT Pride Day, which is
meant to emphasize proudness of one’s sexuality and refusal to be ashamed of it, IDAHO is held
to highlight that homophobia still exists and needs to be confronted and dismantled. For more
details visit http://www.idahomophobia.org/
Q: Who is the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)?
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) is a US-based non-profit,
non-governmental organization (NGO), that aims to secure the full enjoyment of the human
rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual
orientation or expression, gender identity or expression, and/or HIV status. IGLHRC monitors and
documents human rights developments affecting LGBT people, and conducts advocacy—at the
United Nations, within regional treaty bodies, and in alliance with groups promoting human
rights, sexual rights, women’s rights and worker’s rights—to ensure that human rights standards
apply to all sexual minorities. IGLHRC responds to human rights emergencies affecting LGBTI
people in countries as diverse as Nepal, Nigeria, Egypt, Jamaica, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Russia,
Argentina, and Mexico. Through IGLHRC’s Global Emergency Response Network, almost 10,000
people receive action alerts drawing international attention to human rights violations within our
communities. IGLHRC also conducts human rights training and capacity strengthening for
grassroots LGBT groups. For more details visit http://www.iglhrc.org/site/iglhrc/
Q: What is the significance of the dandelion image?
The visual theme on the traveling banner is the image of a dandelion dispersing seeds as seen on
the main page of the Yogyakarta Principles http://www.yogyakartaprinciples.org/ We interpret
this image to represent four ideas: the act of dispersing the 29 human rights principles in the
Yogyakarta Declaration; sowing seeds of knowledge to fight myths and rationales that promote
homophobia, discrimination and violence; human rights standards are not static but shifting
according to the winds of change; the resilience of core human rights ideals and mobilization by
human rights activists are necessary for the sustainability of human rights. The panels of fabric
from different countries will capture some of these ideas.
Q: Why can’t the banner panel we send from our country be returned to us?
Banner panels that are received will be attached permanently to the central panel with the
dandelion design. After the December 10, 2008 culminating activity in Indonesia the banner will
stay in Asia for safekeeping so that it can be made available for other LGBT regional gatherings in
the future. Also, panels that are received after December 10 can still be added to the main
banner.
Q: Who should/can come to the December 10 events in Yogyakarta?
All LGBT groups or activists and our social justice colleagues can come. See list of funders on the
page 2.
Q: Where is Yogyakarta? How does one get there?
Yogyakarta is located in the southern part of the Central Java province of Indonesia. It is a major
tourist destination in Indonesia. Despite the official spelling, the name is usually pronounced as
Jogjakarta or just Jogja (JOGH-jah). This is the place where the “Yogyakarta Principles on the
Application of International Law in Relation to Issues of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity”
were adopted by a meeting of experts in international law on November 6-9, 2006 at Gadjah
Mada University. There is an airport about 8 km away and near-hourly connections on Garuda
airline to airports in other cities like Jakarta (50 mins away) and Denpasar.
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