The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia will be celebrated on 17 May.

We take this opportunity to analyze issues of the current panorama of LGBTI + rights in Portugal, stimulating a conference entitled “LGBT Youth and the Current Society”.

With this event we try to analyze the young initiatives that work within the LGBTI + theme and consider their impact and reception and discuss the need for education for sexuality. We will also visit current issues such as discrimination in health and legislation regarding gender self-determination.

For this, we count on the presence of experienced people in the area:
• Alexandre Passo – president of the IST Student Association;
• Catarina Marcelino – former Secretary of State for Citizenship and Equality and one of the promoters of the new law on gender identity;
• Joana Cadete Pires – representative of ILGA Portugal;
• João Roxo – doctor in charge of the scientific area of ​​CheckpointLX and representative of the GAT;
• Ricardo Robles – councilor of CML.

– Organizers: QueerIST

– Place: Room V4, Civil Engineering Building, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa, Portugal;

– Time: 18h

– Further information at the link: https://www.facebook.com/events/2016960025044996/

Lisboa: Amnistia Internacional Portugal will organize a conference on gender issues called “What makes your gender?” with a panel composed of trans people and followed by a film screening. Further information here https://www.facebook.com/events/2068017433439921/

Porto: Organized by the HeforShe Portugal, the Conference “Gender in Academia” at the Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto, further information here https://www.facebook.com/events/2118616145049384/?active_tab=about

Coimbra: Pride march against homo/transphobia, further information https://www.facebook.com/events/862182693988896/

Faro: 1st LGBTI Meeting organized by the Associação Xis, at 9h30 in the Club Farense (Solar dos Pantojas).

more info at https://escrevergay.com/2016/05/17/primeiro-dia-nacional-contra-a-homofobia-e-transfobia-em-portugal/

In Lisbon, campaigners from Dezanove hosted debate with a local Member of European Parliament on the subject of LGBT issues. The event was open to the public and hoped to encourage meaningful dialogue around issues such as discrimination, stigma and mental health and wellbeing.

For more news and updates please follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 

On Friday June 26th, the Portuguese Parliament unanimously approved a measure to formally adopt 17 May as the National Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia’.

In doing so, the Parliament committed to “engage in fulfilling national and international commitments to combat homophobic and transphobic discrimination,” according to Publico.

The text of the resolution reads that the day “is celebrated around the world and officially recognised in several states and within the European Union as the date that marks the long journey to combat homophobic and transphobic discrimination and struggle for recognition of rights under the law, recalling the moment when, in 1990, the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its International Classification of Diseases, knocking both a real and symbolic barrier of homophobic prejudice. “

More info in Portuguese from LGBT news outlet Dezanove:

Foi aprovada por unanimidade esta manhã no Parlamento a proposta do Partido Socialista que consagra o 17 de Maio como o Dia Nacional Contra a Homofobia e Transfobia em Portugal. Recorde-se que a petição lançada pelo dezanove.pt a 25 de Fevereiro de 2013 foi decisiva para o agendamento da votação desta sexta-feira.

Graças à iniciativa do site de notícias dezanove.pt, a proposta de instituição do 17 de Maio como dia de luta contra as fobias baseadas na orientação sexual ou identidade e expressão de género foi discutida a semana passada pela Comissão de Assuntos Constitucionais, Direitos, Liberdades e Garantias do Parlamento.

In Portugal and as a national LGBT youth organisation, rede ex aequo continued to act for visibility and equality for LGBT youth in Portugal. Therefore and, as the past years they distributed free hugs in busy streets and gave away merchandise addressing issues of sexual orientation, gender expression and identity.

The event took place in Rossio, D. Pedro IV Square in Lisbon on the afternoon of the 17th of May.

Volunteers from the organisation were wearing purple t-shirts and gave hugs to people passing by. Hugging with them were famous Portuguese LGBT Youtubers: Peperan and Lorenzo and Pedro.

As the organisers noted “The free hugs activity was a bug success. It was a really enjoyable afternoon and the invited YouTubers were very welcoming”

Before the free hugs there was a “performance” where volunteers created the short films the organisations has made for the campaign #QuebraOSilêncio (#BreackTheSilence). They stood still with their mouth taped and were holding a black sheet with an insult written on it. This action was chosen in the context of  disclosing the Relatório de Educação LGBT de 2014 and sending it to the Portuguese Ministry of Education in the occasion of IDAHOT.

Ahead of IDAHOT, the organisers started their events on Friday, May 15th as they participated on the CIG conference “Crimes de Ódio contra Pessoas LGBT“ (Hate crimes against LGBT people), the numbers from their Relatório do Observatório de Educação LGBT de 2014 (LGBT Education Monitoring Report of 2014) were announced. On this report they collected and analysed the complaints of bully actions at schools received by rede ex aequo.

Rede ex aequo is an association for youth LGBTQI people in Portugal and consists of local groups in various places all over the country.

Tudo Vai Melhorar, the Portuguese organisation of It Gets Better announced that they would be conducting a “Free Hugs” campaign on the streets of Lisbon and Porto as well to spread acceptance and love rather than homophobia and transphobia. They’ve successfully done this in the past, as well.

https://youtu.be/3z43NF12Q38

It Gets Better is a global project with national organisations around the globe. Their mission is “to communicate to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth around the world that it gets better, and to create and inspire the changes needed to make it better for them.”

Since 2010, Portuguese LGBT rights group, rede ex aequo, has been organising ‘Free Hugs’ events for IDAHOT. They told us a little bit more about where the idea came from, how they organised, and what the impact has been.

Where/how did the idea originate? What were the main assumptions behind the idea, the main expectations?

“A hug against discrimination” – Poster for the 2014 campaign in Central Lisbon

The first time rede ex aequo did an action on IDAHOT was in 2010. The idea was to go to a public space and bring visibility towards the discrimination LGBT people are facing, and through a simple gift – a free hug – accompanied by a bag with info on the day and data on discrimination and souvenirs, the people on the street would be engaged and informed, and by hugging people they would develop empathy towards the other.

What were the risks/threats/obstacles involved and how did you mitigate them?

The biggest obstacles lay in the permission of the Municipal authorities to hold the action in the public space, and getting media coverage in order to achieve higher visibility.

How did you get it done? How many people did it involve? What were the tactics that you used?

We had a member of the board entirely devoted to the event (free hugs). It was necessary to get the Municipality’s permission to use the public space, to produce the souvenirs and t-shirts (including the design), contact famous people (in order to get more visibility), coordinate volunteers, and publicise the event.

Celebrities were invited to join the action for May 17, 2014 – giving free hugs to passersby

For the conference (in 2014), it was organised in partnership with the National Youth Council, so our contribution was mainly in the draft of the program and the choice of the guest speakers. And of course, advertising the event.

How do you rate the impact of this action, and how did you see its effects?

The action had a great impact. More than 200 people hugged, and we had media coverage (1 TV channel, 3 newspapers)

What advice would you give to others who’d like to undertake this activity?

Just do it. It takes some planning, and some effort. But if you can get volunteers, it is feasible.

If you did this action again, what would you do differently?

We are planning to do it next year. We will do it later in the afternoon (it was too hot). We’ll plan a little bit earlier in the year. And we will try to integrate the action with other actions in the same day.

Photos from Free Hugs for IDAHOT 2014 in Lisbon

Diverse events took place in Porto and Lisbon around the IDAHOT 2014. Some highlights include a “Free Hugs” action against homobitransphobia in central Lisbon, a 3-day LGBT Film Festival, and a conference, under the banner: “The World is not a Rainbow: Geographies of Discrimination”. Vigils of remembrance for victims of LGBTI hate crimes also took place in both cities, as part of the IDAHOT Global Interfaith Prayer Initiative 2014.

Free Hugs event

The group, rede ex aequo, organised a Free Hugs event in commemoration of the IDAHOT 2014. The group hailed it a ‘big success!’, and you can find photos of the event on this facebook album.

LGBTI communities and allies come together to give free hugs for IDAHOT 2014 in Lisbon. Source: rede ex aequo

Conference
LGBTI activists and allies, and civil society and government representatives also came together for a conference, “O Mundo não é arco-íris: Geografias da Discriminação” (The World is not a Rainbow: Geographies of Discrimination). The event was organised by a coalition of groups, including ILGA-Prtugal, rede ex aequo, CNJ (Conselho Nacional de Juventude; National Youth Council) and the IPDJ (Instituto Português de Juventude e Desporto; Portuguese Institute of Youth and Sport). It was held on Saturday May 17, in the Palácio Foz, in Lisbon.

A full house to commemorate the IDAHOT and to hear Miguel Vale de Almeida, Mart and Ramos from ILGA Portugal, and Ana Monteiro from Amnesty International. ‪#‎cnj‬ ‪#‎idahot‬ Source: CNJ

State supports fight against homo/transphobia in schools

On Friday, May 16th, the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science, organised the event “Luta contra a homofobia e transfobia nas escolas” (Fight against homophobia and transphobia in schools), between 9.30 and 12.30 in the auditorium of the Pedro Alexander Secondary School, in the district of Odivelas, in the wider Lisbon Metropolitan area. The event included the participation of the Secretary of State for Equality and Parliamentary Affairs, as well as the Secretary of State for Basic and Secondary Education. Representatives of ILGA Portugal, rede ex aequo and AMPLOS, were also present.

3-day LGBT Film festival

Rede ex aequo also organised an LGBT Film Festival during the 16th, 17th and 18th of May, with a special focus on engaging young people. As organisers explained: ‘the main objective of this event is to sensitise young people in general to questions related to homosexuality, bisexuality and transgenderism, especially in terms of that phase of “coming out to you, yourself” because, as we know, this time of coming to consciousness of, and accepting yourself, is special, delicate and often difficult for a majority of young LGBT people, still misunderstood and victims of prejudice and discrimination.

Poster for LGBT Film Festival – IDAHOT Portugal 2014. Source: rede ex aequo

Lisbon Muncipality supports IDAHOT 2014

Lisbon municipality sent out an official message in commemoration of the IDAHOT this year. Local activists advise that they are now entering the process towards official political recognition on the part of Lisbon city authorities, which must be passed by the local assembly. The message from May 17 is reproduced here in full (in Portuguese):

Amanhã, dia 17 de maio, comemora-se o Dia Internacional Contra a Homofobia e Transfobia.

Em 2005, esta data seria proclamada por ter sido o dia, em 1990, em que a Organização Mundial de Saúde retirou a homossexualidade da “Classificação Estatística Internacional de Doenças e Problemas Relacionados com a Saúde“. Todavia, passados 24 anos, a “disforia de género”, que cataloga as pessoas Transgénero, Transexuais e Intersexuais, ainda persiste nesta classificação internacional, pelo que continua a fazer todo o sentido assinalar esta data como um renovado momento de combate à discriminação por razão de orientação sexual ou identidade de género.

Em Portugal, segundo os dados da Agência para os Direitos Fundamentais da União Europeia (2013), uma em cada cinco pessoas inquiridas que estiveram empregadas e/ou à procura de emprego nos 12 meses anteriores ao inquérito sentiu-se discriminada nessas situações. No caso das pessoas transgénero, este número sobe para uma em cada três pessoas inquiridas. Cerca de dois terços das pessoas inquiridas afirmaram ter ocultado ou dissimulado na escola, antes de completarem 18 anos, a sua orientação sexual e/ou identidade de género.

Igualmente, as famílias LGBTI (Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Trans e Intersexo) continuam a não ser reconhecidas pelo estado português, sendo impedidas de adotar e co-adotar crianças em plena igualdade com as outras famílias e impedidas de recorrer à procriação medicamente assistida.

Por todas estas razões, gostaria de assinalar este dia, lembrando o muito trabalho ainda por fazer para combater esta discriminação, afirmando o compromisso do Município de Lisboa no desenvolvimento de políticas locais que promovam a plena cidadania das pessoas LGBTI.

No âmbito desta celebração, participarei na tertúlia “Lisboa Arco-íris”, promovida pelo Chapitô – Rua da Costa do Castelo, Nº 7, no dia 28 de maio, pelas 21h30 e convido à vossa participação.

João Carlos Afonso
Vereador dos Direitos Sociais
Câmara Municipal de Lisboa

Vigils of remembrance in Lisbon and Porto

Progressive communities of faith, and local LGBTI rights supporters, came together in both cities around May 17 for services of prayer, reflection and remembrance of the lives claimed hate crimes against LGBTI communities. These events formed part of the IDAHOT Global Interfaith Prayer Initiative 2014, which was co-ordinated by Gionatta group, based in Italy, and with the European Forum of LGBT Christians. You can find out more about the Prayer Initiative here.

Activists plant “rainbows in the garden!”

On May 17 also, ILGA Portugal and authorities from the district of Misericórdia (Junta de Freguesia da Misericórdia) joined to organise the event “Arco-Íris no Jardim” (Rainbows in the Garden). The Royal Princes Garden in Lisbon (Jardim do Príncipe Real em Lisboa), hosted a rainbow market (from 11am to 8pm) of gourmet products, urban crafts, brick-a-brack, and information booths with material from LGBT associations.

A picnic was also held, of the group “Famílias arco-íris” (Rainbow Families), which is a project of the group CoLeGaS (Coro Lésbico, Gay e Simpatizante).

Also on the 17th, a public march was held by the group Gir@s, as well as a meeting of the group GRIT (Grupo de Reflexão e Intervenção sobre Transexualidade). There were also DJ sets from António Almada Guerra and D.M.A..

A movie festival promoted by rede ex aequo: 11° ciclo de Cinema LGBT from May 16 till May 18
Including screenings of Love Songs (2007), Como Esquecer (2010), Celluloid Closet (1995), Morgan (2012) and Laurence Anyways (2012). You can find out more about the event on Facebook or on the website.

Free Hugs against Discrimination on Saturday May 17 3:30pm promoted by rede ex aequo: Activists will give free hugs and information material about IDAHOT to people in the streets of Lisbon to highlight the importance of the day and raise awareness.
See more details here.

A conference promoted by CNJ, ILGA Portugal and rede ex aequo about the Geographies of Discrimination Against LGBT People.
The conference will start on Saturday at 8pm and takes place at Palácio Foz. Find more details here.

Rede ex aequo is an association of young lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and supporters aged between 16 and 30 years in Portugal. Their work aims to support young lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender and to provide social information on the issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. You can find their website here or visit their Facebook page for more information.