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ILGA: 1978 – 2007. A Chronology

 

1978

-Founded in Coventry (United Kingdom) at a fringe meeting at the annual conference of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, by representatives of organisations from Australia (Gay Liberation Sydney/Victorian Homosexual Law Reform Coalition, Britain (CHE), Denmark (LBL F-48), France (CIDH), Northern Ireland (NIGRA), Republic of Ireland (National Gay Federation), Italy (FOURI!), the Netherlands (COC), Scotland (SHRG) and the United States (NGTF). The meeting was chaired by Rob Pistor (COC) and Peter Ashman (CHE).

-The aims were declared as:
oto maximise the effectiveness of gay organisations by coordinating political action on an international level in pursuit of gay rights and in particular to apply concerted political pressure on governments and international institutions
oto set up an information centre to distribute information on gay matters between gay organisations to promote a wider knowledge of gay oppression and identify areas where international political pressure

The inaugural press release stated that matters of immediate concern were the proposed anti-homosexual laws in Greece and existing anti-homosexual laws in the Soviet Union. It also announced that there would be submissions to the Council of Europe on decriminalisation, and on amending the European Convention on Human Rights to provide protection from discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation. Particular attention would be paid to cases brought under the Convention by Jeff Dudgeon of NIGRA against the UK government and by David Norris against the Republic of Ireland, while Amnesty International would be encouraged to work for the release of people imprisoned under anti-homosexual laws.

The Association was to be coordinated initially from an information centre based at Dublin’s Hirschfeld Centre, with a financial centre in Amsterdam.

The Coventry meeting had originally been called with a view to establishing a European organisation. However delegates from Australia and the USA argued persuasively for the establishment of a global organisation.

No women were present at the Coventry meeting. It was agreed not to take a decision on the use of the word “lesbian” in the name of the organisation until women were involved.


1979

– 25 March: Enzo Francone of FUORI ! demonstrates on behalf of the IGA in Teheran against the persecution of gay people

– 13 – 16 April: 1st IGA World Conference in Bergen (the Netherlands). The 65 delegates from 17 countries and three continents receive an official welcome at Amsterdam town hall.
-recognizing the under-representation of women, the organisation adopts the principle of gender parity as an ultimate goal to work towards.
-In the absence of any organisations from Third World countries, members were to collect information about the position in these countries, and to open dialogue with liberation groups
-among other issues which member organisations agreed to work on were pressurising governments to grant political asylum, collecting information about the situation of transsexuals and transvestites, campaigning for a change in the World Health Organisation’s classification of homosexuality as a disease, the immigration problems of bi-national same-sex partners, applications for consultative status at the United Nations and Council of Europe, seeking support from the World Council of Churches and the International Labour Organisation, and lobbying candidates in the election to the European Parliament. The 28th June was designated “International Gay Solidarity Day”.

– 24 – 27 August: Informal Workshop in Brighton (United Kingdom), hosted by the Campaign for Homosexual Equality.
-Greater involvement of women, with working paper to be prepared for Barcelona and consideration of name change
-FUORI! plans a demonstration for the Moscow Olympics

1980

-4 – 7 April: 2nd IGA World Conference at Santa Cristina d’Aro (North East of Barcelona,[it was always known as the Barcelona conference] Spain), hosted by Grup en Lluita per l’Alliberament de la Lesbiana (GLAL) and Front d’Alliberament Gai de Catalunya (FAGC).
-Greater involvement of women (45 of the 170 participants), and establishment of the women’s secretariat, the International Lesbian Information Service (ILIS) at COC agreed. A women’s caucus meeting rejected the idea of the organisation’s name being “International Lesbian and Gay Association”, on the grounds that it suggested an artificial division between being a woman and being gay, and stressed a split between women and men. Instead, the caucus proposed the addition of a subtitle to the existing name — “International Association of Gay Women and Men” — a proposal that was accepted by the Plenary Session.
-Work on numerous political actions continued, including United Nations consultative status, deletion of homosexuality from the WHO classification of diseases, Amnesty International, the NIGRA (Dudgeon) ECHR case, refusal of the Spanish Government to give legal recognition to FAGC, the illegality of homosexuality in Cyprus, and Ireland, and homophobic actions in Cuba.

21 July: During the Moscow Olympics Enzo Francone (FUORI!) attempts to chain himself to the railings in front of the Kremlin in Red Square, in protest against Article 121 of the Russian penal code, and for the release of two imprisoned gay men, Piatkus and Trifinov. He is beaten by the police.

8 – 10 August: 1st IGA Summer Meeting in Ghent (Belgium), hosted by Federatie Werkgroepen Homofilië
-Much work on organisational development and progressing specific actions

27 December – 1 January – ILIS Conference in Amsterdam, hosted by COC, with 76 participants from 17 countries.
Numerous issues addressed, including child custody, lesbian mothers, female sexuality, lesbians and the media, and the working of ILIS, which would have autonomy in decision-making concerning lesbian issues, but would have an important link with the IGA in matters concerning both sexes.

1981
19 – 21 April: 3rd IGA World Conference in Turin/Torre Pellice (Italy), hosted by FUORI!.
-IGA’s first Consititution intensively debated and adopted
-A conference of ILIS immediately preceding the IGA conference decides that ILIS would be an autonomous organisation, without formal links to the IGA.
-East Europe Information Pool established at HOSI-Wien; plans developed for a resolution at the 75th anniversary celebrations of the International Union of Socialist Youth
Continuing work on UN Consultative Status, World Health Organisation, the NIGRA and Norris cases, Cyprus, the Body Politics (Canada), Cuba, a Finnish case at the UN Human Rights Committee, gays in the Third World, and much else

-21 – 23 August: 2nd IGA European (Summer) Meeting in Stockholm (Sweden), hosted by Riksförbundet för sexuellt likaberättigande (RFSL).

– 1 October: The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe calls for the decriminalisation of homosexuality, an equal age of consent, and for equality in employment and custody rights. IGA members had lobbied the Rapporteur.
21 October: in the first positive ruling on LGBT rights by any international human rights tribunal, the European Court of Human Rights rules in the NIGRA case that the criminalisation of homosexual acts between consenting adults was a violation of human rights. The plaintiff, Jeff Dudgeon, and the lawyer who played a leading role in preparing the case for the Court, Peter Ashman, had both been instrumental in the founding of the IGA.

1982

-IGA information secretariat moved from NGF Dublin (Ireland) to RFSL Stockholm (Sweden)
-Draft of the IGA Action Guidelines.
-8 – 11 April: 3rd IGA European Meeting in Strasbourg (France), hosted by Gay Pied. The conference is held in tents, after the Catholic Church withdraws the use of a youth hostel originally booked at the last minute
-12 – 17 July: 4th IGA World Conference in Washington (United States).
Homosexual Prisoners’ Agency set up to work on those imprisoned on account of their sexual orientation
Latin American Information Pool set up in Surinam
-28 -31 December: 4th IGA European Meeting in Edinburgh (United Kingdom), hosted by the Scottish Homosexual Rights Group (SHRG).

1983

-11 – 16 July: 5th IGA World Conference in Vienna (Austria), hosted by Homosexuelle Initiative (HOSI) Wien.
-Grupo Gai da Bahia (Brazil) takes over Latin American Inforation Pool
-28 – 31 December: 5th IGA European Conference in Cologne (Germany), hosted by the gay liberation front (glf) Köln.

1984

-International Year of Lesbian and Gay Actions.
-20 – 22 January: European AIDS Conference in Amsterdam (the Netherlands).
-13 March 1984: European Parliament adopts its first statement in support of LGBT rights, the Squarcialupi report. It called on the Commission to ensure that “no cases arise in the Member States of discrimination against homosexuals with regard to access to employment and dismissals”. IGA members had provided information to Ms Squarcialupi and lobbied MEPs.
-9 – 14 July: 6th IGA World Conference in Helsinki (Finland), hosted by Seksuaalinen Tasavertaisuus (SETA)
o70 delegates from 18 countries.
oUN Consultative status application abandoned as time not ripe and IGA does not have necessary structure
oMembers to lobby their national delegations to put lesbian issues on the agenda of the UN Women’s Conference in 1985, Nairobi
oSupport for the organisers of the New York march on the UN
oFirst groups join from East Europe (Russia) and Africa (South Africa)
oPublic protest at Finnish tourist office over refusal of authorities to support conference

-30 September: March on the United Nations in New York (United States).
oOrganised by the Lesbian and Gay Organization (LGOC).
oMore than 1000 lesbians and gay men, from Canada (Toronto and Québec), Mexico, Argentina, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Ireland.
oThe claims are: an end to violence against LGB, declassification of homosexuality as a disease by the World Health Organization, and to anti-gay immigration laws, and civil and human rights worldwide.
oOn 29 September, the LGOC organized a conference “On the Global Movement for Lesbian and Gay Liberation”.
-26 December – 1 January: 6th IGA European Conference in Bologna (Italy), hosted by Circulo Culturale 28 Giugno.
1985

-1st ILGA Pink Book published with the help of a grant from the Dutch government
-30 June – 7 July: 7th IGA World Conference in Toronto (Canada)
o500 delegates from 18 nations.
oTheme : “Smashing Borders and opening Spaces: General Oppression of Gay and Lesbian People”.
oGay Asians Toronto set up Asian Information Pool
oFirst resolution on HIV/AIDS
-8 – 17 July: World Women’s Conference in Nairobi (Kenya).
oIGA participates to the NGO forum (through COC).
-27 December – 1 January 1986: 7th IGA European Conference in Cabrera de Mar (Barcelona, Spain), hosted by the Front d’Alliberament Gai de Catalunya (FAGC)
-60 delegates from 15 European countries.
oSeveral protests over causes of anti-gay-and-lesbian discrimination
oDemonstration in Barcelona on 1 January.
oIssues under discussion: North-South cooperation, AIDS, education in Eastern Europe, lesbians and gays in the military, homosexuality and Christian Church.

1986

-30 April – 3 May: First IGA Asian Conference in Tokyo (Japan).
oHosted by the Japanese IGA Support Group
oTheme: “We are everywhere”
-7 – 12 July: 8th IGA World Conference in Isterød near Copenhagen (Denmark), hosted by Forbundet af 1948/Landsforening for bøsser og lesbiske (F-48/LBL).
oTheme: “Lesbian and Gays Facing Crisis”
oImportant organisational changes included the creation of the posts of joint Secretary-General, and the change of name to include the word lesbian. The Women’s Secrtariat moved to Groep 7152 (Netherlands)
oLetters and petition of support for Simon Nkoli and the Vaal 22 (South Africa)
oFurther lobbying of Amnesty International
-28 December – 1 January 1987: 8th ILGA European Conference in Brussels (Belgium), hosted by Antenne Rose and Homo Centrum Bruxelles.
oThe 1987 European Homophobe of the Year Award is granted to Pope John Paul II of the Roman Catholic Church.

1987

-January: Financial Secretariat moves to London (ILGA London Support Group)
-5 – 6 March: European Conference in Brussels (Belgium).
o102 participants from 10 countries.
oHearing on discrimination against homosexuality at the European Parliament.
– 29 June – 5 July: 9th ILGA World Conference in Cologne (Germany), hosted by the Gay Liberation Front (GLF).
o100 organisations from more than 30 countries.
oprogress in convincing Amnesty International to reverse its refusal to adopt homosexuals arrested for their sexual orientation
oprogress in convincing WHO to drop its classification of homosexuality as a disease.
oProject of publishing the 2nd ILGA Pink Book

-6 – 8 November: Sub-regional Meeting for Eastern and South-Eastern European in Budapest (Hungary), hosted by an informal group of Hungarian activists with the support of HOSI Wien, Vienna (Austria).
o30 gay and lesbian delegates
oThemes: information about the legal and social situation of lesbian and gay people in Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Yugoslavia. AIDS prevention and testing. Coordination of efforts amongst lesbian and gay groups in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.
o28 – 31 December: 9th ILGA European Conference in Zürich (Switzerland)
o55 delegates from 13 countries.

10 – 12 December “Homosexuality beyond Disease” conference in Amsterdam – organised by COC, Homostudies Utrecht and ILGA, and aimed at putting pressure on the WHO

1988

-Publication of 2nd ILGA Pink Book.
-International campaign against Clause 28 (which banned UK local authorities from “promoting” homosexuality)
-ILGA videofilm: “We are everywhere”.
-The first Latin American Lesbian Conference is held in Mexico City (Mexico).
-ILGA rejects the UN report “Calls for further work on sexual minorities” because of clichés and factual inaccuracies about homosexuality.
-16 – 17 April: 2nd (ILGA) Sub-regional Meeting for Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Warsaw (Poland), hosted by Warszawski Ruch Homoseksualny (WRH).
-26 June – 2 July: 10th ILGA World Conference in Oslo (Norway), hosted by Det Norske Forbundet af 1948 (DnF-48) and Arbeidsgrupper for homofil og lesbisk frigjøring (AHF)
o More than 100 delegates, from 45 organizations and 21 countries
oTheme : combating discrimination.
oEstablishment of an international committee to submit an application for UN consultative status.
oApproval of a proposed draft protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights which would ban discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation .
oClaims against Amnesty International’s refusal to adopt homosexual prisoners because they’re gay.
oBeginning of the ILGA/Homostudies Iceberg project, documenting discrimination against homosexuals in Europe
26 October: David Norris wins his case at the European Court of Human Rights against the ban on sex between men in Ireland, consolidating the 1981 Dudgeon victory.
-19 – 20 November: 2nd ILGA Asian Conference in Tokyo (Japan).
oReport on gay organisations in Indonesia.
-1 December: First World AIDS Day.
-27 – 31 December: 10th ILGA European Conference in Amsterdam (the Netherlands), hosted by COC.
oTheme: “1992 : What consequences will the European Integration in 1992 have for the national policy of lesbian and gay organizations ?”.
o102 delegates and 31 organisations from 15 countries.
oPreparation of the 1989 European elections.

1989

-Two new cities apply for ILGA membership: Rotterdam and Nijmegen (the Netherlands).
oThe Hague (the Netherlands) was the first one, some years before.
-21 – 23 April: 3rd ILGA Sub-regional Meeting for Eastern and South-Eastern Europe in Budapest (Hungary), hosted by Homeros Lambda.
-May: the Danish Parliament approves the first registered partnership for lesbians and gays worldwide.
-4th July: ILGA applies for Consultative Status at the Council of Europe. However the application is rejected (nearly a year later) on the grounds that ILGA’s activities “are not directly related to the present work programme of the Council of Europe”
-16 – 22 July: 11th ILGA World Conference in Vienna (Austria), hosted by HOSI Wien. There are 262 participants from 33 countries
oVisit to the extermination camp of Matthausen and tribute to the homosexual victims of nazism.
oSimon Nkoli, finally released from detention in South Africa, addressed the Conference, thanking ILGA for the letters of support and explaining their importance to him and the Vaal 22.
-27 – 31 December: 11th European Regional Conference in Athens (Greece).
oOrganised by EOK.
o66 delegates from 17 countries.
oMeeting between the European members of the ILGA and Amnesty International members.
oMelina Mercouri, Greek former minister of Culture, sends a warm message of support “Make love in all its variations into a god”.

1990

-The Women’s Secretariat tours American lesbian communities to introduce ILGA and to start building a support network in North America.
-28 February : Jean-Claude Letist dies in Cologne (Germany).
-20 – 22 April: 4th ILGA Sub-Regional Conference for Eastern and South Eastern Europe in Leipzig (Germany)
oAbout 30 persons from Poland, the GDR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and the USSR, and 20 guests from the West.
oThe conference is reported in the GDR press.
-17 May: the General Assembly of the World Health Organization removes homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.
-25 – 27 May: ILGA organises a human rights seminar (hosted by F-48/LBL) as a parallel activity to the CSCE “human dimension” conference in Copenhagen (Denmark)
-1 – 7 July: 12th International ILGA Conference in Stockholm (Sweden).
ohosted by RFSL.
o287 participants from 116 different groups and 36 nations.
oEast Europe Information Pool closed, as no longer needed
oRevisions to Constitution empower the Secretariats’ Committee to enact policy and decisions, moving ILGA further along the path from being an informal network to a professionally run NGO. The associated move of the Information Secretariat to Brussels is accompanied by the employment of ILGA’s first staff member, albeit part time.
-24 – 26 August: 3rd ILGA Asian Conference, Bangkok (Thailand).
-September: the ILGA Lesbian Working Group for Lesbian Visibility plans the first annual Lesbian Week in New York (United States of America).
-20th December: meeting between ILGA representatives and the European Commissioner for Social Affairs, Vaso Papandreou in Brussels (Belgium).
oThe Commission agrees to fund a study and report on “the rights of lesbians and gay men in the legal order of the European Commission”.
oThe study is undertaken by ILGA, the Stonewall Group and the European Human Rights Foundation.
-27th – 31st December: 12th European Regional Conference at Copenhagen (Denmark), hosted by F-48/LBL.

1991

-After years of campaigning, ILGA and other organisations convince Amnesty International to accept lesbians and gay men imprisoned for their sexuality as “prisoners of conscience” during its assembly in Yokohama (Japan).
-19 – 21 April: ILGA Regional Conference for Eastern and South Eastern Europe in Prague (Czechoslovakia), hosted by Svaz Lambda.
oTheme: “Lesbian and Gay Media: Theory and Practice”.
oParticipants from Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia, GDR, USSR and Bulgaria (for the first time).

28 – 29 June: 1st ILGA Regional Latin American Conference, followed by the 13th ILGA World Conference, 30 June – 6 July. Originally scheduled for Guadalahara, both conferences had to be moved to Acapulco following threats of violence, and the refusal of the Governor of Guadalahara to guarantee the safety of participants.
-14 September: The City of Amsterdam (the Netherlands) applies for Associate Membership.
-27 – 31 December: 13th ILGA European Regional Conference in Berlin (Germany), hosted by the Sonntags-Club.

1992

-1 – 3 May: 6th ILGA Regional Conference for Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, in Bratislava (Czechoslovakia), hosted by Ganymedes.
-12 – 18 July: 14th ILGA World Conference in Paris (France).
oorganized by “Gais pour les Libertés”.
o254 delegates from all 5 continents. For the first time, participants from India, Zimbabwe, Malaysia and Kenya.
o16 July: demonstration marking the 50th anniversary of deportations by the nazis by renaming the rue Alexis Carrel rue du Triangle Rose.
o16 July: a demonstration is held in front of the Iranian embassy in protest of the death penalty against homosexual acts in that country.
o16 July: a demonstration is held in front of the Mexican Embassy in protest at the murder of 7 gay men, including the head of the Confederation of Mexicans against AIDS. The demonstration is repressed by the police, and 9 ILGA delegates are injured.
oILGA decides it should begin a process of regionalization, working towards the creation of regional structures and committees.
-6 August: the United Nations openly discuss homosexuality for the first time.
oSpeech by Prof. Douglas Sanders on behalf of ILGA in the name of Human Rights Advocates in the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.
-2 – 4 October: 4th ILGA Asian Regional Conference in Manila (Philippines).
-16 – 18 October: ILGA EC Strategy Planning meeting in Sitges (Spain), organised by Coordinadora Gai-Lesbiana de Catalunya (CGL).
-27 – 31 December: 14th ILGA European Regional Conference in Brussels (Belgium), hosted by Antenne Rose and FWH.

1993

-Publication of 3rd Pink Book.
-28 – 30 January: ILGA is invited to participate in the inter-regional meeting “Human Rights at the Dawn of the 21st Century”, organised by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, in the context of the preparation of the World Conference on Human Rights, which is held in Vienna in June 1993.
-23 March: ILGA Bid for NGO status with ECOSOC discussed by the United Nations in New York (United States).
oThe UN Committee on NGO of ECOSOC recommends ILGA for Roster Consultative Status.
-15 – 18 April: 7th ILGA Sub-regional Conference for Eastern and South-Eastern Europe in Vienna (Austria), hosted by HOSI Wien.
oMain theme: HIV/AIDS.
o218 participants from 27 countries, including 15 countries from Central and Eastern Europe.
22 April 1993: ILGA activist Alecos Modinos wins his case at the European Court of Human Rights against the ban on sex between men in Cyprus, consolidating the Dudgeon and Norris rulings.
-10 – 12 June: ILGA participates in the NGO Conference on Human Rights in Vienna (Austria).
o16 June: HOSI-Wien organises an ILGA parallel activity: “Lesbian and Gay Rights are Human Rights”.
-14 – 25 June: UN World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna (Austria).
-July: ILGA gains consultative status at the United Nations.
-11 – 17 July: 15th World ILGA Conference in Barcelona (Spain).
oHosted by the Coordinadora Gai-Lesbiana.
oDemonstration against repression of homosexuality in Turkey in front of the Turkish commercial delegation, and against homophobic crimes at the Colombus Column, in Barcelona harbour.
oThe congress is welcomed by Barcelona City Council and the Catalan Governement.
-September: the US right publicized that the NAMBLA (North American Man Boy Love Association) is a member of ILGA.
oThe governments of the US, Canada and Australia state publicly that they cannot support ILGA’s consultative status as long as pro-pedophile organizations remain members.
-27 – 31 December: 15th ILGA European Conference in London (United Kingdom), hosted by the London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard.

1994

-Board Meeting in Mexico.
-8 February: the European Parliament approves the Roth Report, which urges the Member States, among others, to equalise the legal age of consent between hetero and homosexuals, to grant equal rights to same-sex couples, including the opening-up of same-sex marriage, and to allow homosexuals to adopt children.
-31 March 1994: Nick Toonen of ILGA member organisation Tasmanian Gay & Lesbian Rights Group wins his challenge before the UN Human Rights Committee under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights against the ban on sexual relationships between men, thus establishing at global level the human rights principle already recognised in Europe through the Dudgeon, Norris and Modinos cases.
-22 – 24 April: 8th ILGA Sub-regional Conference for Eastern and South-Eastern Europe in Palanga (Lithuania), hosted by Lietuvos jud?jimas už seksualin? lygyb? (Lithuanian Movement for Sexual Equality), Amsterdamas Club and Diplomata.
oTheme: “Against AIDS and discrimination”.
-24 June – 3 July: 16th Annual Conference in New York (United States). Hosted by the Center ILGA Committee, a program of the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center.
oPaedofilia is clearly condemned, and pro-paedophilia members of the ILGA are expelled by a motion which is approved by 88% of the members.
o27 June 27: ILGA co-hosts the Stonewall 25 commemoration events in New York City
-September: The USA learns that the Munich-based group VSG hosts meetings supportive of paedophilia. VSG is expelled from ILGA.
oSenator Jesse Helms denounces the situation.
oILGA consultative status is not revoked, but suspended by ECOSOC.
21 – 23 October : ILGA Euro Seminar in Sitges (Spain), organised by Coordinadora Gai-Lesbiana de Catalunya (CGL)

-27 – 31 December, 16th ILGA European Regional Conference in Helsinki (Finland), hosted by SETA.

1995

ILGA receives its first major grant when the European Commission awards ECU 150,000 from the Phare & Tacis Democracy Programme for a year long Lesbian And Gay Anti Discrimination Project, in conjunction with the World Health Organization. The grant was used to support groups in Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, St. Petersburg and Moscow and included HIV/AIDS prevention work.
-6 – 12 March : UN World Summit for Social Developement in Copenhagen (Denmark). ILGA is represented by Hans Hjerpekjøn, who makes a statement on LGBT issues. With LBL/Denmark, ILGA hosted two paralell NGO events.
-8 March: Representatives of ILGA meet a representative of Jacques Santer, the President of the European Commission in Brussels (Belgium).
-25 – 28th May: 9th ILGA Sub-regional Conference for Eastern and South-Eastern Europe in Kiev (Ukraine), hosted by ??? ?????? (Dva kolori – Two Colours)
o60 participants from USSR, Baltic States, Ukraine, Germany, Belgium and England.
-18 – 25 June: 17th ILGA World Conference in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), hosted by Arco-Íris, Atobá, Caras & Coroas, Colectivo das Feministas Lésbicas (São Paulo), Colectivo de Lésbicas de Rio de Janeiro, Instituto Superior de Estudos da Religião (ISER), and Triângulo Rosa.
oTheme: “Full Citizenship for Lesbians and Gays!”.
oILGA goals are expanded to include the promotion of universal respect for and observance of “human rights and fundamental freedoms”.
oA specific resolution on accreditation at the UN confirms the fact that ILGA neither promotes paedophilia, nor seeks its legalisation.
oFirst ILGA Conference and first big LGBT Conference in South America.
oFirst pride in Brazil on occasion of an ILGA conference. 5000 people are present.
-4 and 5 September: 4th UN Conference on Women and Forum of NGOs in Bejing (China).
oRebeca Sevilla gives a speech at the NGO forum.
oThe discussion about sexual rights and about the inclusion of sexual orientation takes a lot of deep and hard debates until 5 in the morning, bringing the Conference to finish until one more day.
-17 October: ILGA (Inge Wallaert) speaks before the European Parliament as the representative of one of the eight NGOs invited to talk on the topic of “fundamental rights”, during a public hearing for the 1996 Intergovernmental conference.
-1 December: ILGA is represented by Inge Wallaert and Jordi Petit at the Euromed Civil Forum in Barcelona (Spain).
-26 – 31 December: 17th ILGA European Conference in Riga/J?rmala (Latvia), hosted by Latvijas asoci?cija seksu?lai vienl?dz?bai – LASV (Latvian Association for Sexual Equality).

1996

-July: ILGA attends the International AIDS Conference in Vancouver (Canada).
-8 – 11 August: 10t South-Eastern and Central Europe Conference in Ljubljana (Slovenia), hosted by Magnus, ŠKUC-LL and Roza klub.
o50 delegates.
-13 – 18 September: the Regional Committee of Latin America gathers in Bogota (Colombia).
oInvited by the Liga Columbiana contra el Sida.
o22 delegates from Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Argentina and ARCEGAL (Central America).
-November: ILGA attends as an NGO the Vienna Review Conference of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
oKurt Krickler submits a written presentation and gives two oral statements in the Human Dimension Working Group.
-27 – 31 December: 18th ILGA European Conference in Madrid (Spain), hosted by Colectivo de Gais y Lesbianas de Madrid (COGAM).
o100 delegates.
oILGA-Europe is founded as ILGA’s regional umbrella for Europe. Its constitution is adopted, and it is decided to establish the new organisation under Belgian law with its headquarters in Brussels.
oA new regional constitution is passed and a new Board elected.
oA first draft of an “Action Plan” with “24 ideas for European Commission-led initiatives” towards equality for lesbians and gay men in Europe is presented and discussed.

1997

-The British actor Sir Ian McKellen donates his services to do a one-man show, “A Knight Out in Brussels,” as a fundraiser for ILGA. It is a huge success.
-ILGA begins to work with HIVOS.
-28 – 31 January: First ILGA Regional Latin America Conference in São Paolo (Brazil).
-June: “Sexual orientation” is included as a non-discrimination category in Article 13 EC Treaty (Treaty of Amsterdam). The wide network of LGBT activists developed over the years in Europe was important in lobbying for this development to succeed.
-29 June – 5 July: 18th ILGA World Conference in Cologne (Germany), hosted by the Lesbian and Gay Liberation Front Köln (LGLF) for its 25th birthday.
o200 delegates from 48 countries.
oThe motto is “Challenge and Pride”.
1 July 1997 :In Sutherland v. United Kingdom, a case brought by ILGA member Stonewall, the European Commission of Human Rights finds that the United Kingdom’s discriminatory age of consent for gay men violates Article 14, combined with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This is the first case in which the Convention jurisprudence moves beyond the basic principles established 16 years earlier in the Dudgeon case.
-9 – 13 October: 1st ILGA-Europe Annual (= 19th ILGA European) Conference in London (United Kingdom), hosted by the National Lesbian and Gay Committee of UNISON.
oIt is confirmed that Europe would remain one single region within ILGA and elect only two instead of four representatives to the ILGA executive board.

1998

-ILGA ’98 Manifesto to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, claiming that “Gay and Lesbian Rights are Human Rights!”.
-Meeting between Jordi Petit and Pierre Sané, Secretary General of Amnesty International, in Barcelona (Spain), at the annual assembly of the Spanish division of AI.
-1 January: ILGA finally gains consultative status at the Council of Europe
-1 August: ILGA celebrates its twentieth birthday during the Gay Games in Amsterdam, with a reception offered by the Amsterdam City Council. ILGA participates with AI and HIVOS to the Conference on LGBT Rights organised at the University of Amsterdam, and to the opening ceremony of the conference on LGBT Rights, Work, and Trade Unions.
-8 October: ILGA’s Co-Scretaries-general Jennifer Wilson and Jordi Petit and ILGA-Europe co-chair Kurt Krickler meet with Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva (Switzerland).
-21 – 25 October: 2nd ILGA-Europe Annual (20th ILGA European) Conference in Linz (Austria), hosted by HOSI Linz.
o70 participants from 27 countries.

1999

-ILGA begins a project funded by EU and HIVOS to highlight the LGBT human rights violations in ten Latin American Countries. Hosted by OASIS (Guatemala).
-May: ILGA participates in the Global Coalition World Democracy meeting, which is launched in The Hague (the Netherlands)
oIt gathers organisations and groups worldwide who see democracy as an underlying principle of human rights and full participation, and who are committed to seeing the extension of this across the world by the year 2010.
oILGA is part of the steering committee of the Global Coalition World Democracy 2010 Foundation.
-19 – 26 September: 19th ILGA World Conference in Johannesburg (South Africa).
oMore than 200 delegates from 40 countries.
oTheme “Building partnerships for Equality”.
oIncludes a one-day “ILGA’ Women’s Preconference on 19 September .
oFirst African ILGA Conference.
oThe first international Trade Union Guidelines for LGBT Workers-“Working for Lesbian and Gay Members” is launched in collaboration with South African Trade Union Leaders.
-3rd ILGA-Europe Annual (= 21st ILGA European) Conference in Pisa (Italy), hosted by Arcigay Pride! under the patronage of the Office of the Prime Minister and the European Commission’s Representation in Italy.
oTheme: “Building our European Community”.

2000

-9 – 16 March: Phumi Mtetwa, secretary general, takes part in the preparatory sessions for the 44th session of the UN Commission on the status of Women in New York (United States).
-30 May – 2 June: An ILGA Delegation and HIVOS meet Oasis Delegation in Guatemala to set up the Latin American Project.
-8 June: Phumi Mtetwa, Gloria Careaga and Irene Leon take part in the Lesbian Caucus that addresses an open letter to the UN Bejing + 5 General Assembly Special Session in New York (United States).
-5 – 7 July: 20th ILGA World Conference in Rome (Italy).
oHosted by Circolo Culturale Mario Mieli
oMore than 100 delegates from 30 countries.
oThe World Pride gathers more than 250 000 people.
-4 – 8 October: 4th ILGA-Europe Annual (= 22nd ILGA European) Conference in Bucharest (Romania), hosted by ACCEPT.
oThe conference causes enormous media attention. Four TV teams and international media, including CNN, BBC and Reuters, cover the event.
oThe conference is the best protected in the history, as counter demonstrations are announced. However, the opponents manage to mobilise only a few people who, kept at a distance, are unable to disturb the conference. While Romanian politicians avoid the conference, the US ambassador to Romania and representatives of the Dutch and German embassies join a conference reception.
-12 – 15 November: 2nd ILGA Latin American/Caribbean Conference in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), hosted by Grupo Arco-Íris de Conscientização Homosexual.
-27 November: The EU adopts a Directive requiring Member States to ban employment discrimination on various grounds, including sexual orientation. With EU enlargement imminent, a total of 27 countries are required to protect LGB’s.
-December: ILGA-Europe receives a core-funding grant from the European Commission, allowing it to develop into a fully professional NGO.
-December: ILGA Delegates participate in the Las Americas Conference in preparation to the World Conference Against Racism and related discrimination. For the first time in a LAC Conference, sexual orientation is formally recognized as a dimension of discrimination and government representatives agrees on the need of actions against discrimination.

2001

-11-12 January: Kür?ad Kahramano?lu, Secretary General, sets up the organising committee of the Second Worker’s Out Conference with the support of some Australian Trade Unions and ILGA Members in Sydney (Australia).
-February: ILGA-Europe opens an office in Brussels (Belgium), with a full-time information officer, and a part-time administrative officer.
-25 – 309 August: 21st ILGA World Conference. ILGA Global Gay Summit in Oakland (United States).
-31 August – 4 September Phumzile Mtetwa and Kür?ad Kahramano?lu attend the UN World Conference Against Racism, in spite of an earlier vote at the ECOSOC which did not grant ILGA the observer status.
-24 – 28 October: 5th ILGA-Europe Annual (= 23rd ILGA European) Europe Regional Conference in Rotterdam (the Netherlands), hosted by COC Rotterdam.
o120 delegates from 31 countries, with Lousewies van der Laan and Joke Swiebel (MEP), Boris Dittrich (MP) and Rene Jones-Bos (Human Rights Ambassador at the Dutch Ministry for Foreign Affairs).
oTheme: “Creating partnership”.

2002

-The ILGA LAC region (Latin America and the Caribbean) is created.
-Kür?ad Kahramano?lu and Rosanna Flamer-Caldera meet Mona Sahlin, Minister of Labour and Integration issues of the Swedish Government, to discuss support of the Swedish Government to ILGA projects and especially cooperation at the UN.
-28 January – 7 February: ILGA participates in the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre (Brazil).
-5 April: Brussels: Kür?ad Kahramano?lu meets Guy Ryder, General Secretary of ICFTU, about increasing trade union membership of ILGA.
-30 April: The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations rejects the ILGA application for consultative status.
-5 July: ILGA holds a “Civic Workshop” at the International Humanist Ethical Union Conference in the Netherlands.
-29 July: ILGA supports the ILGCN World Conference in Stockholm (Sweden).
-10 – 13 October: ILGA Asian Regional Conference in Mumbai (India).
oTheme “A to Z: The Other Asia”.
-23 – 27 October: 5th ILGA-Europe Annual (= 24th ILGA European) Conference in Lisbon (Portugal).
oTheme: “Recognising Diversity, Promoting Equality”.
oHosted by Opus Gay.
oWith Joke Swiebel (European Parliament), and Peter Schieder (President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe).
-31 October – 2 November: Second Worker’s Out Conference in Sydney (Australia).

2003

-21 – 26 January: ILGA has a presence at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre (Brazil).
-April: At the regular session of the UNCHR in Geneva, the Brazilian delegation proposes a resolution entitled “Human Rights and Sexual Orientation” (E/CN, 4/2003/L.92). At this stage 27 countries formally support sexual orientation as an issue at the United Nations. This “Brazilian Resolution” triggers a sustained campaign by ILGA and its allies for recognition of LGBT rights at the UN.
-1 August: Armenia introduces new criminal code, in which the ban on same-sex relationships is lifted. It is the last country in Europe to decriminalise, under pressure from the Council of Europe to implement the principles established in the Dudgeon, Norris and Modinos cases. In the 22 year since the Dudgeon judgment same-sex relationships have been decriminalised in 24 European jurisdictions.
-15 – 19 October: 7th ILGA-Europe Annual (= 25th ILGA European) Conference in Glasgow (United Kingdom), hosted by Stonewall Scotland.
oTheme “Policy into Practice – making LGBT equality happen”.
oMore than 180 participants from 36 countries.
-7 – 14 November: 22nd ILGA World Conference in Manila (Philippines).
oTheme “Surviving Discrimination, Celebrating our Lives”.
oNOVIB financially supports for the first time the ILGA’s World Conference.
oILGA commits to campaign for the inclusion of gender identity in any resolutions at the United Nations
oClaudia Roth, Commissioner for Human Rights of Germany and author of the 1994 “Roth report” in the European Parliament, gives the Keynote speech celebrating ILGA’s 25th anniversary.
oILGA discusses its support and tactics for the Brazilian Resolution at the UN.
– 12 December – 14 December: Kür?ad Kahramano?lu attends the “International Strategy Building on Sexual Orientation: the UNCHR and Beyond” in Rio (Brazil) to explain the ILGA strategy, which is based on Manila decisions.

2004

-The first project to increase and strengthen women’s involvement in ILGA is accepted by NOVIB.
-8 February – 14 February: Kür?ad Kahramano?lu and Rosanna Flamer-Caldera attend a conference in South Africa to revitalise the ILGA Africa Region.
-15 March – end of April: 60th session of UNCHR in Geneva (Switzerland)
oThe “Brazilian resolution” is suspended by Brazil under pressure from the Arab states and the Vatican.
oPresence of a delegation of ILGA members supported by the German Foreign Office
-22 May – 23 May: ILGA backs the first CEDAT- Sexual health and rehabilitation congress in Istanbul (Turkey).
-19 July – 21 July: ILGA supported and contributed to GLBT Forum of Education International, international trade union of teachers. Porto Alegre, Brazil.
24 July: In Karner v. Austria the European Court of Human Rights rules that refusal of the Austrian authorities to allow a same-sex partner to succeed to the tenancy held by his deceased partner was a violation of Article 8, respect for home, together with Article 14 of the Convention. This was the first time that the Court recognised any rights with regard to same-sex partners. ILGA-Europe had supported Karner with a third party intervention that was relied on heavily by the Court in reaching its decision.
o14 – 17 September: ILGA-LAC Conference in Santiago (Chile), hosted by Sindacato Nacional de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras Luis Gauthier.
-27 – 31 October: 8th ILGA-Europe Annual (= 26th ILGA European) Conference in Budapest (Hungary), hosted by Háttér Társaság a Melegekért (Support Society for Gays and Lesbians).
oMore than 220 participants.
oTheme “Coming out to the EU”.

2005

-Since 2005, ILGA has organized a campaign for eleven LGBT associations from Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America to apply for ECOSOC status.
-January: ILGA hires a Women’s Project Officer with the support of NOVIB. Her role is to facilitate visibility, communication and coalition building, and the participation of lesbian, bisexual, transgender women in political actions within and outside of ILGA’s network.
-March 2005: ILGA organises four panels at the UN Commission of Human Rights to make LGBTI issues more visible within the United Nations. About 30 activists coming from all over the world are attending the event, funded by the German and Swdish Foreign Offices. Several representative read statements in the UNCHR plenary.
-The documentary “Rainbow’s End” is being filmed, showing ILGA’s work at the UN.
-17th May: 1st International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), initiated by Louis-Georges Tin on the basis of previous days against homophobia in Canada
-20 – 23 October: 2nd Asia Conference in Cebu City (Philippines), hosted by CLIC-Can’t Live in the Closet and Cebupride.
oTheme: “Coming out, Coming home”.
oDecision to include a transgender activist in its Board.
-26 – 30 October: 9th ILGA-Europe Annual (= 27th ILGA European) Conference in Paris (France), hosted by an association of various LGBT organisations.
oTheme: “United in Diversity”.
-1 – 3 December: 1st ILGA Pacific Conference in Auckland (New Zealand), hosted by Gay Waves/Sexual Minorities Project.
-The Magazine has a new layout, is translated into Spanish and is made available for free in English and Spanish on the web.
-The site <www.ilga.org> provides basic information about ILGA in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
-Autumm 2005. Advertisement on adoption by same sex couples.
oILGA works with DDB Belgium on a TV advertisement to support the passing of a law on adoption by same sex couples in Belgium.

2006

-Novib and Hivos reconfirm their financial support to ILGA for the next few years. In line with the evaluation carried out jointly by Novib and Hivos, ILGA is asked to improve its financial, administrative and strategic work.
-January: ILGA’s and LBL’s application rejected by the ECOSOC NGO Committee.
-March: Publication of ILGA’s Lesbian and Bisexual women’s health report, “Lesbian and Bisexual women’s health: common concerns, local issues”, then translated into Spanish and French.
-28 March – 3 April: 23d ILGA World Conference in Geneva (Switzerland).
oTheme: “UNited we stand”.
oHeld as the same time as the last session of the UN Commission on Human Rights.
oPreconferences on “Women’s Health”, “Men’s Health”, “Religions”, “Transgender issues” & “Workplace issues”. A formal greeting from the Dalai Lama is delivered, speaking out against discrimination of LGBT people
oFour groundbreaking panels address the work at the UN, politicians coming out, LGBT in Africa and Homosexuality and Islam
oA Trans Secretariat is established to make trans work within ILGA more visible.
oThe ILGA “Islam & Homosexuality” panel was held. Speakers include delegates from South Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Turkey.

– July 26 – 29 2006: 1st World Outgames and the International Conference on LGBT Human Rights, were organised in Montreal. ILGA Co-Secretary Generals Rosanna Flamer Caldera and Kursad Kahramanoglu were part of the Scientific Committee of the International Conference on LGBT Human Rights. Both Co-Secretary Generals were invited to Chair the main plenary based on the United Nations. The High Commissioner on Human Rights, Ms Louise Arbour, addressed her speech to ILGA at the opening of the conference. ILGA’s office together with ILGA members organised 4 workshops on LGBT issues.
-October: ILGA organises 4 panels at the UN Human Rights Council to make LGBT issues more visible within the United Nations. About 30 activists coming from all over the world are attending the event funded by the Swedish Foreign Ministry.

– Publication of the brochure “Breast and uterus cancer brochure – For women who love women” in English, Spanish, French and Dutch. Supported by the Belgian Foundation against Cancer.

-Autumn 2006: Meeting of the expert group in Yogyakarta (Indonesia) that let to the creation of the Yoyakarta principles, in which ILGA was highly involved together with other human rights organisations.
-25 – 29 October: 10th ILGA-Europe Annual (= 28th ILGA European) Conference in Sofia (Bulgaria), hosted by ??????????? ??? ??????????? (???) ??????? (Bulgarian Gay Organisation (BGO) Gemini).
oTheme: “We are Family – Our Families in Europe and the European Family”.
oAlmost 200 participants.
-ILGA’s multilingual campaign to support the “Brazilian resolution”
-ECOSOC campaign
-54 UN member states (a doubling since 2003) supported the issues of sexual orientation and gender identity by signing the “Norwegian Statement” in the UN Human Rights Council. Significantly gender identity issue received support, fulfilling commitment made by ILGA at Manila conference
-At the end 2006, the Danish association LBL, ILGA-Europe and the German LSVD were granted consultative status by the full ECOSOC, which overturns the biased decision of the NGO Committee.

2007

-The Generalitat de Catalunya is the first region to become an associate member of ILGA.
-The 2007 ILGA annual report on the legal situation of LGBT rights is published thanks to Daniel Ottoson’s recompilation work. Since the eighties with the Pink Books and the nineties with the ILGA annual reports, ILGA has regularly informed about the LGBTs’ legal situation.
-May: following the 1st ILGA African conference held in Johannesburg (South Africa). Pan Africa ILGA is established.
-In mid 2007, the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights, RFSL (which is also presently hosting the ILGA Women’s Secretariat) and Coalition Gaie et Lesbienne du Québec from Canada, are granted ECOSOC Status.
-August: The United Nations Economical Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean invites Gloria Careaga as ILGA representative to be observer at the 10th UN conference on women in Latin America and the Caribbeans.
-September: 4th ILGA Latin America Conference in Lima (Peru), hosted by Instituto Runa de Desarrollo y Estudios sobre Genero
oApproximately 200 people attend the event.
oA constitution for the ILGA Latin America has been approved
-24 – 28 October: 11th ILGA-Europe Annual (= 29th ILGA European) Conference in Vilnius (Lithuania), hosted by Lietuvos G?j? Lyga (LGL).
-October: Trevor Cook is hired as the first ILGA Executive Director.