montreal declaration: 'equal rights will be achieved'

By BTM correspondent

July 31, 2006: About 1500 participants in the World Conference on LGBT Human Rights in Montreal stated in its final declaration on Saturday that 'LGBT individuals and groups in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe no longer accept prejudice and discrimination, and are becoming increasingly impatient to achieve freedom and equality.

The conference, on the eve of the 1st International OUTGames brought together LGBT activists from over hundred countries as well as many of representatives of civil society. The United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights, Madame Louise Arbour, spoke at the opening night of the conference and at least six judges (amongst them South Africa's openly gay and HIV positive judge Edwin Cameron), representatives of the European Union, national parliaments, unions and transnational (human rights) bodies like Amnesty International, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and Human Rights Watch attended. American Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson also attended the conference.

 Besides the final declaration the conference adopted one more resolution, urging the Canadian authorities to allow a Cameroonian volleyball team and choir entrance to the country. Immigration officials also refused an activist from the same country a visa - a decision sharply criticized by Judge Cameron in his speech to the conference. Cameron also questioned the 'northern dominance' in Montreal and joked that this first international conference on LGBT human rights was in fact a First World conference...

 However, the conference was attended by representatives of approximately ten African countries (Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Uganda, Cameroon, Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, Rwanda etc.)Behind the Mask was represented by  its director Thuli Madi and Board member Bart Luirink at the invitation of
 Hivos.

 In an African caucus meeting participants were briefed on efforts to Unite the African LGBT movement and shared experiences in the lobby of the African Union's Commission on People's and Human Rights in Banjul (The Gambia). According to Cary Johnson (IGLHRC) and Ian Swartz (The Rainbow Project, Namibia) commissioners discussed LGBT affairs, in particular human rights violations in Cameroon, for the first time at a recent session.