BILBAO DECLARATION OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION WITH LGBT POPULATIONS

PREAMBLE
We, the undersigned organizations, express our great concern for the situation that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans (understood as transvestite, transsexual and transgender) people suffer in most of the world. Concretely, we denounce that these populations' right to health, education, culture and work are adversely affected and that they continue to suffer hate crimes with impunity, intolerant aggressions, social rejection, discriminatory laws, police harassment and a lack of legal recognition and protection.

We denounce the special vulnerability of lesbians and trans people within LGBT populations.

We declare that the most fundamentalist, intolerant and anti-democratic elements of many state partisan structures and ecclesiastic hierarchies are those who instigate, endorse and promote actions that qualify as homophobia, lesbopobia and transphobia.

We affirm that not recognizing sexual and affective diversity as a human right contributes to maintaining this situation.

ARTICLE 1: HUMAN RIGHTS
Therefore, the undersigned strongly express that the right of every person to sexual-affective diversity and to his or her own gender identity is a human right.

ARTICLE 2: SOCIETY AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENCE ORGANISATIONS
We urge society in general and human rights defence organizations to involve themselves in the defence of LGBT people.

ARTICLE 3: PUBLIC POWERS
We call for the public powers to involve themselves in the active defence of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans people as a cooperative practice.

ARTICLE 4: COOPERATION WITH LGBT POPULATIONS IN ALL NGOS
We urge that those NGOs that carry out projects of international cooperation include among their priorities a perspective of sexual orientation and gender identity and avoid leaving these populations, which are in great risk of social exclusion, without support.

ARTICLE 5: RESOURCES OF PUBLIC POWERS ALLOCATED FOR LGBT POPULATIONS AND
DISTRIBUTED EQUITABLY
We call for the public powers of those countries that donate resources for cooperation in development to expressly include LGBT populations among their priorities, making equitable distributions of these resources.

ARTICLE 6: EXCHANGE AMONG EQUALS
We view cooperation in development as an exchange among equals and not as a capital transaction from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere, but as a true interrelation of cultures.

ARTICLE 7: NECESSITIES EXPRESSED BY THE BENEFICIARIES
We believe that international cooperation must always originate from the necessities expressed by organisations from the Southern Hemisphere.

ARTICLE 8: AFFECTIVE-SEXUAL DIVERSITY AND GENDER
We affirm the importance of respect for the diversity among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans people. We not only seek comparable rights, but also we defend the multiple possibilities of expressing affection, sexuality and gender identity.

ARTICLE 9: THE STRUGGLE AGAINST HIV/AIDS
We express our great concern for the difficulties that confront LGBT populations in accessing information regarding HIV/AIDS, methods of prevention and existing treatments. We denounce that in many cases it is not a problem of a lack of resources, but that those that do exist are not designated for LGBT populations because of stigma and prejudice.

ARTICLE 10: EQUALITY, DIGNITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Our struggle is for social equality and dignity. We not only struggle for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans people, but for all human rights, social justice and the defence of the earth and natural space.

We struggle against economic exploitation, cultural plundering, ideologic homogenation and religious intolerance.

For this struggle we integrate ourselves into different social and citizen networks because our specific struggle is no different than any other inequality or injustice.

ARTICLE 11: COMMITMENT OF DONATING COUNTRIES
Those undersigned Northern Hemisphere organisations of this Declaration
commit to:

a) Put maximum effort into achieving funding, from private entities or public administrations, in order to develop projects of international cooperation with LGBT populations.

b) Urge other LGBT organisations and other NGOs to involve themselves in international cooperation with LGBT populations.

c) Designate at least 7.0 % of our budgets to international cooperation.

d) Work on the sensitisation of our citizens regarding the situation of LGBT populations in other parts of the world through education for development.


Approved by the plenary of the Third Conference of International Cooperation With LGBT Population in Bilbao, 19 March 2006. This text is opened to the accession of whatever organisation that identifies with its contents. Translated by: David Nelson.

Protest program by Blue Diamond Society against the current autocracy in Nepal.

With the support from National and International communities and all the civil societies, minority groups, socially deprived/marginalized communities, political parties, business organizations and general public are involving and demonstrating against the current autocratic government and king to restore the absolute democracy. 'Blue Diamond Society'- family members and staffs would like to express our hearty solidarity and joins the protest/agitations for this historic Democratic movement in Nepal. Blue Diamond Society also would like to donate Rs. 10,000 for the treatment of the victims of brutal oppression by the state security force and Rs. 5000 from Blue Diamond Society's women-project for women attracted to women – “Mitini Nepal” strictly for the treatment of women victims during the agitation. Blue Diamond Society would like to announce the following activities to support to the ongoing protest.


- 2063/1/3 (19 April 2006) – Protest by wearing black hand bands symbolizing the protesting
againsgt autocracy, current governmnet of Nepal.

- 2063/1/7 (20 April 2006)- Participation in the protest rallies/agtitaion.

In solidarity

Sunil B Pant
Dircetor

(from) Office of the Representative of H.H. the Dalai Lama

Found on LGBT-Inida

The Tibet Bureau

Office of the Representative of H.H. the Dalai Lama

"I am pleased to bring you greetings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the occasion of the XXIII World Conference of the International Lesbian and Gay Association.

His Holiness welcomes the special attention given at this conference to religious tolerance and respect for diversity.

His Holiness is greatly concerned by reports of violence and discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

His Holiness opposes violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and urges respect, tolerance, and the full recognition of human rights for all.

Finally, he expresses his best wishes for a successful conference." Geneva, 30 March 2006

13-year-old child allegedly murdered in Mahotari district, southwest from Kathmandu, Nepal after his father can't stop him from being a transgender.

Thirteen-year-old Rupesh Mandal from Agileshore VDC, Mahotari studying is class 8 was found dead inside his room by his mother early in the morning of 30th March 2006. Tapeshore Mandel, father of Rupesh, abused him two months ago when he found that Rupesh had been visiting Blue Diamond Society's (BDS) Drop in centre in Janakpur (two hours from their village) with her transgender friend from the same village. He kicked her out of the family home. Later, Rupesh rejoined the family saying she would stop going to BDS. But his father continued to abuse and assault Rupesh in an attempt to stop her from being transgender. However, it was not possible for Rupesh to change from what she was.

Neighbours and other transgender stated that Rupesh's father called his son "hijra" and that if he didn't stop being "hijra" he would kill his son.

On 29th March 2006, Rupesh was again verbally abused by his father in front of his transgender friend. His father repeatedly talked about killing Rupesh.

The next morning, Rupesh was dead.

On hearing of the death, villagers rushed to the house and suggested to cremate Rupesh's body quickly before the police found out about the incident. Another Meti, a friend of Rupesh, heard the terrible news and ran to BDS office in Janakpur and called Pradip, the Coordinator, for help.

Pradip rushed to the scene and talked to villagers and to Rupesh's father who was saying "We had a quarrel last night and Rupesh took poison and killed himself". Pradip asked that the body not be cremated before the police had been informed. Police from Jaleshore VDC station arrived later that morning and took the body for post mortem. The post mortem report indicated that no poison had been taken but instead suggested that Rupesh had been suffocated.

BDS team and members are deeply shocked, sadden and terrified by this terrible incident involving a 13-year-old child just for being transgender.

BDS demands a proper investigation and justice so that such an incident may never be repeated again.

Sunil Pant
Blue Diamond Society

Other news in brief:
27 Metis (cross dressing affeminate males) arrested on

13 March has been released on bail on 29th March 2006.

3 Metis are still in detention and assaulted and beaten by police inside the police station at Hanuman Dhoka.

Police has prepared to charge on Public offence again and keeping for at least 10 days for investigation.