Yaaj Mexico, Embassy of the Netherlands in Mexico and Museum of Memory and Tolerance, invite you to participate in the Educational Day LGBT + IDENTITY, LOVE AND SEXUALITY.

On the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, the events of the day will take place on Tuesday 15, Thursday 17, Friday 18 and Saturday 19 of the month of May 2018. All the tables and workshops will be They will be held in the facilities of the Memory and Tolerance Museum in CDMX.

We invite you to review and confirm your attendance at any of the tables, keynotes or workshops at the following link:

http://www.myt.org.mx/museo/centro-educativo/cursos/2018/mayo/jornada-lgbt-identidad-inclusion.html

For the 5th consecutive year, the LGBT Besoton will be held on Thursday, May 17 at 3:00 p.m. at the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City. The objective of the event is to raise awareness about the consequences of discrimination, the low progress of our Human Rights, the lack of interest and little commitment on the part of the Presidential Candidates. Four years after the Presidential Decree as National Day Against Homophobia, Mexico continues to occupy 1st place in hate crimes for homophobia, there has been no considerable progress. The promises of Peña Nieto failed.

Throughout the week from May 14 to 16 the organization La 72 in the city of Tabasco will carry out multiple activities that include discussion forums, cinema, reflection tables and ends on May 17 with a show for the victims of homophobia, a fair of diversity and a night culture.

Today, May 17, 2016, is the first time that the President of the Republic of Mexico will meet with 50 LGBT Leaders inside the Presidential House: Residencia Oficial de Los Pinos

(information from Aidshealth.org)

As part of the event games will be held in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua to promote IDAHOT 2015. As well as raising awareness for the day, organisers hope that the events will help combat stereotypes about LGBTI people held in these countries.

As well as these events Didesex will hope to further combat stereotypes by sharing profiles of individuals involved through their social media in the week following May 17th. Messages and images will also be shared (in Spanish) using the hashtag #deportevshomofobia.

For more information on the games, and how you can get involved please visit the Gay Games official website, as well as the Facebook page for Didesex.

On May 17th Mexican LGBT group and It Gets Better affiliate Todo Mejora México worked with well-known trans Youtuber Victoria Volkóva to release a special video in which young people from across the world discussed the homophobia and transphobia they have faced, as well as the positive changes they have experienced.

The 2nd edition of Ecatepec’s (State of Mexico) march against discrimination focused on family diversities, while Tabasco’s Pride march was also organised to coincide with IDAHOT.

Once again, events for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2014 were held throughout Mexico, affirming May 17 as a vital date in the country’s LGBTI rights calendar.

Mexican President supports the Day online

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto marked the Day with a special Tweet from his account @EPN in which he stated “Because we are making of Mexico a country of equality and non-discrimination, we celebrate for the first time the National Day Against Homophobia”.

In April 2014, Mexico became the latest nation to officially recognise May 17, as the ‘National Day Against Homophobia’, by presidential decree.

Mexican president supports the IDAHOT 2014 via his twitter account.

Week of events by various groups, May 12-17

Meanwhile the group Reacciona México de México DF, together with Inspira el Cambio AC, and the Institute of the Federal District Jueventud, amongst other partners coordinated ​​the series of events “Turn me Purple” which took place from 12 to 17 May in the City of Mexico.

The organization Colectivo Seres from Guanajuato city, Mexico held the 5th meeting for Sexual Dissidence which also included activities from 12 to 17 May.

National Survey on Discrimination and Labour

Also, with the aim of learning more about the current situation of discrimination against LGBTI people in Mexico, a set of state actors, community organizations and private sector companies coordinated and presented the ‘National Survey on Discrimination and Labour’. The organizers of this initiative were Espolea and Enehache Forum, in collaboration with the Mexican National Human Rights Commission.

The presentation of the Survey was made on the IDAHOT in order to encourage media, civil society and the general public awareness around the situations that LGBT people face at work. You can watch a video of events here:

British council offices back major event

One of the events organized for the Day took place at the British Council offices in Mexico, which organized a roundtable discussion. It was attended by civil organizations, musicians, media, and local and federal government figures. Participants included:

• Ricardo Baruch Espolea.
• Iván Gómez Tagle, coordinator of LGBT Youth Mexico .
• The singer Jaime Kohen.
• Lena Milosevic, Director of British Council Mexico.
• Jacqueline L’ Hoist, president of COPRED.
• Irasema Conapred Zavaleta.
• Carlos Ramos who talked about discrimination and mental health.

Personal is political, understand that phrase made me see the power relations between people, genders, institutions, religions, schools, also between women; and learn to distinguish different ways to understand and use it. With the feminist movement I’ve been learning about the importance of collective reflection, collective work in order to transform the different realities we face day by day and make our voices count.

That’s why, part of my efforts at Clóset de Sor Juana had been the voice, voice to sing and, at the same time, voice to fight, to look between us, not different, but diverse; to link our experiences as lesbians, bisexual and transgender women to transform discrimination contexts with choral music to get that message as many people as possible.”

Josefina Valencia Toledano, El Clóset de Sor Juana, Mexico

To learn more about the current situation of discrimination and homophobia in Mexico, various organizations in collaboration with the private sector presented the National Survey on Discrimination and Labor that will be done during the month of April. In recent months, mass media have disclosed several cases of unjustified dismissal towards LGBT people, however, we still do not know what is the true extent of the problem in the country.

Despite advances in legal and regulatory matters, LGBT people are still discriminated in many areas of life, as shown by several studies including the National Survey on Discrimination in Mexico Strategic Communication (COPRED, 2013).

The organizers of this initiative are Espolea and Enehache Forum in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission. The presentation of results will be made prior to the World Day against Homophobia in order that media, civil society and the general public become aware of the situation of LGBT people at work.

It is noteworthy that most of the surveys available in Mexico on discrimination and homo / lesbo / transphobia have been applied to general population but not to LGBT people, except for the Homophobic Bullying Survey that was taken in 2011 and the results showed the danger of the situation of bullying at schools. The survey is available online and can answered by anyone which consider themselves lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex or queer, on the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NZSWNHR

Espolea is an organization whose mission is to empower young people and to involve them in projects and initiatives that generate knowledge and information from a youth perspective, enabling them to act as agents of change and promote respect for human rights. This is done through developing themselves, advocacy training, visualization of priority issues and the generation of a binding, plural and multicultural community.

For more information visit their website.

Report also available in Spanish.

Significant activities, to mark the Day, were reported in Mexico City, as well as the cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey.

Mexico Goes Purple for May 17

In honour of the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia, monuments of the City of Mexico, as well as some of the most important roads of Mexico, were illuminated in purple as a symbol of support and solidarity. People were also encouraged to dress in Purple as a symbol of solidarity.

Activists and allies (as well as significant monuments and roads) came out in purple for May 17 in Mexico

Reports Anodis.com, ‘actress, Valeria Vera who is the Mexico Talk [] ambassador explained that for the commemoration, people are invited to “paint themselves purple” as a symbol of solidarity and the fight against homophobia and transphobia.’ Vera stressed, further, that ‘it is very important to appeal not only to society but also to the Mexican government to end discrimination against gay and transgender people, and to encourage equality and active citizenship.’

Poster for May 17, 2013 by Reacciona México (RMX)

For more information please see:

Reacciona México (RMX) on facebook

Reacciona México (RMX) website

Media Reports:

• El Porvenir: http://www.elporvenir.com.mx/notas.asp?nota_id=670532

• Mundo de Hoy: http://www.mundodehoy.com/index.php/mundodehoy-com/14005.html

• Terra: http://noticias.terra.com.mx/mexico/estados/nuevo-leon/autoridades-organizan-carrera-contra-la-homofobia-en-nl,848104eb3ffae310VgnVCM3000009acceb0aRCRD.html

• Terra México: http://noticias.terra.com.mx/mexico/presidencia-recuerda-dia-internacional-contra-la-homofobia,83138c04124be310VgnVCM5000009ccceb0aRCRD.html

The survey is one initiative to draw attention to ways in which the sexual rights of young people are violated. A total of 1273 LGBT people from the 32 states of Mexico participated in the survey. One of the key findings was that 66% of survey respondents acknowledged that they were victims of bullying. Among gay men, the percentage was even higher, with 75% being victims of bullying. Lesbians reported less bullying with 51%.

In the city of Queretaro, activists organized various events and activities, including a march, cultural events, panels at the university, and declarations.

In the city of Tijuana, activists organized lectures and panels delivered by experts, a bi-national caravan, a contest of short films, art exhibitions, artistic events and other forms of entertainment.