rjh1@midway.uchicago.edu (robert j hinde) (06/14/91)
This is a repost from alt.politics.homosexuality that I thought deserved attention from readers of misc.activism.progressive. Beware, it's long... ----------------------------------------------- Article: 369 of alt.politics.homosexuality From: LT@fek.su.se (Lewis Taylor) Newsgroups: alt.politics.homosexuality Subject: ILGA International Conference cancelled! Message-ID: <5E94352E269F201168@njord.fek.su.se> Date: 13 Jun 91 23:01:51 GMT Lines: 72 Here is the major part of a press release from the International Gay and Lesbian Association: GOVERNMENTAL HOMOPHOBIA FORCES ILGA TO CANCEL ANNUAL CONFERENCE Brussels, 11 June, 1991 - The 13th annual ILGA Conference (Guadalajara, 30 June - 6 July, 1991) has been cancelled today. This is due to renewed and serious opposition by the Government of the Mexican state of Jalisco and the Guadalajara and Zapopan City Governments. The Organizing Committee (O.C.) of the 13th Annual Conference, Mexican groups GOHL and Grupo Lesbico Patlatonalli, tried all possible alternatives to ensure the holding of the conference. They were supported by the Federal President of Mexico, Mr Salinas, and the National Commission for Human Rights but these met with a total lack of understanding and cooperation from the State Governor and the mayors of Guadalajara and Zapopan. Originally, the State Governor, Mr Cosio, did not appear to be opposed to the conference but very recently he succumbed to the pressure of the homophobic Mayors of Guadalajara and Zapopan, Mr Covarrubias Ibarra and Mr Orosco to follow their position. Despite repeated efforts of the National Human Rights Commission and the Organizing Committee, the State Governor and the Mayors of Guadalajara and Zapopan are now determined to prevent the conference in any possible way, even though Mexican law guarantees freedom of assembly. Mayor Ibarra publicly stated that any hotel which signed a contract with the O.C. would be closed down immediately. The Mayors also stated that there would be no police protection whatsoever for the delegates to the Conference. Organizers felt this necessary in view of opposition from extreme right-wing groups in Guadalajara. The Mayors also declared that delegates to the conference would be arrested for "immoral behavior". This leaves the ILGA without any possible conference site in Guadalajara and without any protection from aggression. After having tried in every possible way to save the Conference, it was therefor decided with great sadness by the Organizing Committee and ILGA officers that the Conference had to be cancelled. The ILGA strongly condemns this utterly homophobic attitude on the part of the local and state governments and urges its members and all others concerned about Human Rights to protest to the Mexican Governments. It also urges lesbians and gay men worldwide to support the Organizing Committee politically and economically in this crises. The ILGA hails the courage and perseverance with which the O.C. has tried to organize the Conference. It was very important that this would have been the first ever ILGA Annual Conference to be held in a "Third World" country. ILGA officers today pledged to return to Mexico with a Conference as soon as possible. ... The fight around the conference did have the effect that for the first time in Mexican history homosexuality was widely discussed in the media and in society, not only in Guadalajara itself, but on a national scale. ... Europeans in ILGA will meet in Berlin in December, while plans are under way for an Americas meeting in November. The next Annual Conference will be in Paris in 1992.