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HERE TO CHALLENGE! A GUIDE TO WHATS HAPPENING IN LGBT BRIGHTON & HOVE
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Tatchell asks people to lobby Commonwealth Secretary General
By Hector Montalbo
Oct 11, 2011 - 8:33:51 AM
Oct 11, 2011 - 8:33:51 AM
Tatche
Human rights campaigner Peter Thatchell is asking people to lobby the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Association of Nations, Kamalesh Sharma, and urge him to use his influence to ensure that LGBT human rights are discussed by the Commonwealth heads of government when they meet in Perth, Australia on October 28-30.
Commonwealth leaders have never previously discussed the widespread victimisation of LGBT people by Commonwealth member states.
You can email the Secretary General at:
secretary-general@commonwealth.int
You can also write to him via:
Secretary General
Commonwealth Secretariat
Marlborough House
Pall Mall
London SW1Y 5HX
Be polite and thank Mr Sharma for his recent statements where he said that victimisation on the grounds of sexual orientation is incompatible with Commonwealth values.
These are the four LGBT issues that should on the official agenda at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
They should be agreed and adopted by all Commonwealth nations:
1. Decriminalisation of homosexuality
2. Laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
3. The enforcement of legislation against threats and violence, to protect LGBT people from hate crimes
4. Consultation and dialogue with LGBT organisations
Peter Tatchell, Director of the human rights organisation, the Peter Tatchell Foundation, said:
"The Commonwealth heads of government have always refused to address the widespread violation of LGBT human rights. We want this to be the breakthrough summit."
"I wrote an article in May in The Guardian newspaper, which strongly criticised the Secretary General and the Commonwealth for their failure to speak out against homophobic and transphobic persecution in member countries. Within 10 days, Kamalesh Sharma became the first Commonwealth Secretary General to make an explicit and unequivocal public statement criticising homophobia and homophobic discrimination."
"Lobbying the Secretary General direct will add to the magnificent work being done by many other LGBT groups and HIV and human rights organisations. They, too, are pushing for change within the Commonwealth. Our collective efforts in recent months give us the best prospect ever of getting LGBT human rights on the official CHOGM agenda."
"The Commonwealth is an association of 54 nations, mostly former British colonies and mostly in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. More than 40 of its member states still criminalise homosexuality, with penalties including flogging and life imprisonment."
For further information:
Peter Tatchell 0207 403 1790
peter@petertatchellfoundation.org
www.petertatchellfoundation.org
Peter Tatchell
|
Human rights campaigner Peter Thatchell is asking people to lobby the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Association of Nations, Kamalesh Sharma, and urge him to use his influence to ensure that LGBT human rights are discussed by the Commonwealth heads of government when they meet in Perth, Australia on October 28-30.
Commonwealth leaders have never previously discussed the widespread victimisation of LGBT people by Commonwealth member states.
You can email the Secretary General at:
secretary-general@commonwealth.int
You can also write to him via:
Secretary General
Commonwealth Secretariat
Marlborough House
Pall Mall
London SW1Y 5HX
Be polite and thank Mr Sharma for his recent statements where he said that victimisation on the grounds of sexual orientation is incompatible with Commonwealth values.
These are the four LGBT issues that should on the official agenda at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
They should be agreed and adopted by all Commonwealth nations:
1. Decriminalisation of homosexuality
2. Laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
3. The enforcement of legislation against threats and violence, to protect LGBT people from hate crimes
4. Consultation and dialogue with LGBT organisations
Peter Tatchell, Director of the human rights organisation, the Peter Tatchell Foundation, said:
"The Commonwealth heads of government have always refused to address the widespread violation of LGBT human rights. We want this to be the breakthrough summit."
"I wrote an article in May in The Guardian newspaper, which strongly criticised the Secretary General and the Commonwealth for their failure to speak out against homophobic and transphobic persecution in member countries. Within 10 days, Kamalesh Sharma became the first Commonwealth Secretary General to make an explicit and unequivocal public statement criticising homophobia and homophobic discrimination."
"Lobbying the Secretary General direct will add to the magnificent work being done by many other LGBT groups and HIV and human rights organisations. They, too, are pushing for change within the Commonwealth. Our collective efforts in recent months give us the best prospect ever of getting LGBT human rights on the official CHOGM agenda."
"The Commonwealth is an association of 54 nations, mostly former British colonies and mostly in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. More than 40 of its member states still criminalise homosexuality, with penalties including flogging and life imprisonment."
For further information:
Peter Tatchell 0207 403 1790
peter@petertatchellfoundation.org
www.petertatchellfoundation.org
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