ilga gears up african region reps

By Nthateng Mhlambiso - BTM Senior Reporter

May 6, 2007: The establishment of ILGA-Africa – which is the African branch of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) entered a painstaking debate at the organisation’s conference taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday.

ILGA-Africa will be a non-profit making organisation which will espouse lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) in Africa.

From about 30 LGBTI and human rights activists in Africa, the board of ILGA-Africa will be selected at the end of the indaba.

According to the proposed constitution, ILGA Africa is aimed at promoting universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to work for the equality of LGBTI people.

Delegates from different LGBTI organisations in the continent revealed delight at the formation of such framework, however, some raised concerns about resources to sustain the regional branch.

“The formation of ILGA-Africa will fight homophobia by governments and it will show them that homosexual people do exist in African countries and not just something that happens in countries with white people.” David Kato Kisule, secretary of Integrity – a faith-based organization in Uganda.

Kisule added that coming together as LGBTI organisations in Africa under ILGA-Africa will assist LGBTI organisations to stand together and speak in one voice in the fight against homophobia by governments.

The establishment of ILGA-Africa will help build solidarity and the spirit of collective action among LGBTI organizations in Africa, according to Dawn Cavanagh, Acting Director of the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW).

According to Cavanagh, the conference is significant in that different African activists came together for common purpose.

The conference continues until 8 May, and crucial topics such as fundamentalisms and homosexuality in Africa, Public education and lobbying, gender based violence and hate crimes in Africa as well as Health and wellbeing of homosexual people in Africa, are still to be scrutinized.