Later this year Glasgow will host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The Equality Network will be working with the Scottish Government and LGBT groups across the Commonwealth to highlight the challenges many LGBT people continue to face all over the world.
An exhibition called LGBT people of the Commonwealth will be held in Pride House during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in late July.
The Equality Network, the Scottish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality charity, has secured funding of £9,992 from the National Lottery Celebrate Fund to prepare and hold an Exhibition on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people of the Commonwealth, to be held during the games.
LGBT people of the Commonwealth is a project which will celebrate and recognize the contribution of LGBT groups and organisations from the 53 countries that make up the Commonwealth, and ensure the visibility of LGBT people and their lives during the Games.
The charity has also announced a partnership with Pride Glasgow, Glasgow’s annual LGBT pride festival and the Glasgow Human Rights Network to hold an international LGBT Human Rights Conference at Glasgow University on July 18, five days before the opening ceremony and a day before the Glasgow’s annual pride celebration.
Scott Cuthbertson, Community Development Coordinator for the Equality Network, said: “The Commonwealth Games offers us a unique opportunity to reflect on and support LGBT human rights around the Commonwealth and the world. As the eyes of the world fall on Scotland for the games we have the chance to give a voice to the successes and challenges faced by LGBT people in every part of our world. We are delighted to receive this grant which will help us to celebrate the contribution of LGBT people to culture and human rights, while also standing up against criminalisation and violence against LGBT people around the globe.”
Alastair Smith, Chief Executive of Pride Glasgow, added: “Pride Glasgow welcomes the Commonwealth Games to our city. The games have provided a platform to celebrate and showcase the achievements of the LGBT community here in Scotland while also highlighting the successes and struggles faced by LGBT people throughout the Commonwealth. Pride Glasgow will send a strong message of support to our LGBT brothers and sisters throughout the Commonwealth Games, held in our city, during the Pride Glasgow festival.”
Dr Matthew Waites, of the Glasgow Human Rights Network, concluded saying: “The GHRN are pleased to be working with the Equality Network and Pride Glasgow on holding an International LGBT Human Rights Conference here at Glasgow University. The Conference gives us the opportunity to highlight human rights abuses across the Commonwealth and give a voice to LGBT people around the world.
The Equality Network says that while Scotland has made significant progress towards achieving LGBT equality in the law and society, the situation for LGBT people is deteriorating in some Commonwealth countries, with anti-gay laws being passed recently in Uganda and Nigeria, and recriminalisation of homosexuality in India after a recent Supreme Court appeal.
The charity points out that 41 of the 53 members of the Commonwealth criminalise homosexuality, and that more than half of the 78 countries worldwide that criminalise homosexuality belong to the Commonwealth.
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