Brazil advances in the fight for LGBT rights
Following Brazil’s formal submission of a Resolution on Human Rights and Sexual Orientation to the UNO Human Rights Council in 2003, an international coalition of LGBT and Human Rights organizations was formed to provide support to this initiative.
Despite Brazil having withdrawn the Resolution in 2005 owing to pressure on its economic agenda and insufficient support from the voting member states on the Council, many actions have continued to be undertaken aimed at gaining force in Latin America by involving other countries from the Region.
At the same time, actions of a more global nature have been developed by means of networking. Among them are the Principles of Yogyakarta, an important resource regarding the application of international human rights legislation to issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity http://www.yogyakartaprinciples.org/
On November 7th, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the Brazilian government together with the Argentine and Uruguayan governments and the non-governmental organizations ARC-International; Center for Women’s Global Leadership; Global Rights; Human Rights Watch; International Commission of Jurists; International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission; ILGA - International Lesbian and Gay Association and the International Service for Human Rights will launch the Principles as part of an important action coordinated by civil society in partnership with the governments of the global south.
ABGLT – The Brazilian Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Association, through its LGBT Rights in the Mercosul project, coordinated by Alexandre Boer (SOMOS/Porto Alegre) and Beto de Jesus (IEN/São Paulo), together with ILGA – International Lesbian and Gay Association, have articulated the Brazilian government’s support for this initiative, in addition to obtaining the support of the President’s Office Special Department for Human Rights to publish the Principles of Yogyakarta in Portuguese for national distribution. In partnership with Sonia Correa from the NGO ABIA and Sexuality Policy Watch, who was co-chair of the meeting in Indonesia, the Principles have been launched in the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro, Nova Iguaçu, Porto Alegre and São Paulo, with the participation of local NGOs.
According to Beto de Jesus, “the initiative by the Brazilian Government to provide support is the fruit of the discussion on the Principles of Yogyakarta begun in the IX Meeting of High-level Authorities on Human Rights in the Mercosul and AssociatedStates held in Montevideo in August, and also ABGLT’s consolidated work with the various levels of the Brazilian government”.
Boris Dittrich, HRW’s Director of Advocacy, visited Brazil and the end of August and made arrangements with the Brazilian government to consolidate the launching of the Principles in New York with the support of ABGLT and ILGA.
Toni Reis, AGBLT’s president, said “we have reached a very important moment, since ABGLT, as well as being active in Brazil, is taking on an important role internationally in the southern bloc of countries”.
Beto de Jesus is in New York this week for the launch of the Principles of Yogyakarta and also to articulate with Brazil’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations regarding strategies for the next meeting of UNO’s NGO Committee, when ABGLT’s application for ECOSOC consultative status will be analysed. With this status, ABGLT will have the right to speak in its own name when participating in UNO activities.
