International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia - May 17th

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IDEAS FOR ACTION

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia- May 17th

A PRIVILEGED MOMENT THAT EVERYONE, AT ALL LEVELS, CAN USE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE MEDIA, POLICYMAKERS, PUBLIC OPINION, O T H E R C I V I L S O C I E T Y O R RELIGIOUS GROUPS OR ANY O T H E R S T A K E H O L D E R S O R CONSTITUENCIES TO DISCUSS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES ON THE BASIS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY
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International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia - May 17th

Table of Contents:
Ideas for Action Introduction: ................................................4 Utilizing Media: .................................................................5 Hosting an Event to Highlight and Publicize the Issues:.....................6 Working with Local, Regional, National and International Governments ...7 The Use of Arts and Culture: .................................................8 Creative Campaigns: ............................................................9 Promoting Healthy Community Engagement Through Sport: ................10 Using People Power: ...........................................................11 Celebrating the LGBT Community and its Diversity: ........................12 Gather Statistical Data .......................................................13 Other Potential Ideas: ........................................................14 Thank You ......................................................................15

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia- May 17th

Ideas for Action Introduction:

This resource is meant to inspire acIvists and community leaders to creaIvely think about ways that they can commemorate the InternaIonal Day Against Homophobia. We strive at the InternaIonal level to ensure that our work does not impose on the brilliant minds of community advocates. We oer this resource as simply a guide for what local groups could potenIally do with their acIons held in over 70 countries around the world. It is the hope that this resource will give new meaning and new life to some old ideas through the creaIve processes of amazing individuals all over the globe. We have idenIed several themaIc acIviIes that have taken place by acIvists all over the world to give local leaders ideas. Please nd this compilaIon below along with specic examples from various countries. UIlize this resource as you see t. Good luck in your acIon!

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia - May 17th

Utilizing Media:

Media is an incredible tool for spreading a posiIve message out amongst the masses. In some cases, it also provides for safety for acIvists to be able to share their voice without having to be face to face with their detractors. Media can be uIlized in a number of ways to spread a message of tolerance and acceptance. By capitalizing on this possibility, groups have been able to demonstrate solidarity to a broader naIonal audience. Media can be uIlized in a number of ways as well. There is tradiIonal media which can be challenging, especially in predominately homophobic countries, however, should not be ignored as they usually have a viewership. These forms of media include television, radio, newspapers and magazines. Dont be afraid to seek out in your local communiIes those media houses that might be friendly to your cause. There is also a non-tradiIonal media that can and should be uIlized as much as possible. With the increase of internet access all over the world, one single picture can send shockwaves throughout the enIre globe. UIlize this media in a number of ways. Whether organizing events through social networking sites like Friendster, facebook, twi]er, etc, etc or using media hubs like Youtube, Vimeo, Photobucket, and Flickr; ge_ng the word out about your events in pictures, video, audio and online journals can help to draw a]enIon to your event and make it that much more impacaul. Thus take a lesson from some of the 2010 events from last year list below to create some of your own ways of working with media. Costa Rica- held a press conference given by directors of organizaIons and the minister for public health. o Croa,a- Did a montage video/ video lip-sync to Katy Allens F*ck You, which was picked up internaIonally. o Israel- Launched a brand new website called HAVANA which served as an informaIon hub for LGBT events surrounding the InternaIonal Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. o Rwanda- AcIvists in Kigali a]empted to air a public radio debate on LGBT issues and human rights. The debate was canceled, Visibility Campaign o Guatemala- displayed posters and banners throughout the historical centre of the city outside of several buildings, including Ministry for Health, EducaIon and Labour, the Local Government oce, the NaIonal Congress, the PresidenIal Palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral. o Ireland- Galway youth LGBT group Shout displayed posters around the city and held a ceremony with speeches and a balloon release. o

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia- May 17th

Hosting an Event to Highlight and Publicize the Issues:

Many acIvists around the world have chosen to host an event of some kind where they can publically express their feelings, a_tudes, and beliefs surrounding LGBT issues in their country. AcIvists from around the world have met in both private spaces and public spaces where they have convened a series of acIviIes ranging from cultural dances, to speeches, to musical performances, to declaraIons, you name it. The key to making these events successful is to ensure that the event caters to the community of which you serve. Whether the event has a high spirited, fesIve theme, or is very serious in nature, make sure that the day reects who you and your people are and say what you feel like you need to say. Make sure that you invite dignitaries from all walks of life including but not limited to diplomats, government ocials, local celebriIes, opinion leaders, movement heros, religious leaders, poliIcal representaIves, sports stars, singers, poets, arIsts, etc, etc. Also include local youth leaders, leaders of other social movements, lawyers, police representaIves, any and all consItuencies whom you hope to inuence. o o o Bangladesh- Held a day of fesIviIes that included cultural performances Cambodia- Held a week of acIviIes that included cultural performances, arts and entertainment, etc, etc. Kenya- AcIvists gathered in the capital of Nairobi to host a social event marked by arts performances and fesIviIes with speeches delivered by important Kenyan gures.

The Power of Prayer and Remembrance:

In order to commemorate those who have suered from Homophobia and Transphobia in their lives, consider holding a vigil of some kind in your community. Vigils can be a powerful tool to draw a]enIon to the mindless acts of intolerance directed at individuals from all walks of life. Vigils carry a certain weight with them that are symbolic in so many contexts, whether religious, spiritual, commemoraIve or memorial. Vigils are usually conducted with a serious tone that evoke a silence dedicated to thought and remembrance. Asking people to stop and think is a great tool and done with an internaIonal solidarity movement such as the InternaIonal Day Against Homophobia, might really have a large impact. Consider partnering with a local religious or spiritual group to conduct your vigil. Hold your vigil in a public or private space with signicant meaning. Make sure you get as many people to parIcipate as you can. o o Hong Kong- Held a Candle Light Vigil in Chater Gardents in the heart of the city. Nigeria- To show solidarity with the internaIonal community, in Lagos, the House of Rainbow Metropolitan Community Church members held a vigil to ght religious hatred against people based on their sexual orientaIon and gender idenIty.

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia - May 17th

Working with Local, Regional, National and International Governments

Many organizaIons throughout the world were able to mobilize the power of government to highlight the InternaIonal Day Against Homophobia. AcIvists in many cases were able to work with their governments to ocially recognize the day, to pass proclamaIons to honor the day, or to have government ocials parIcipate directly in some of their acIons. Some governments have even ocially recognized the day as a naIonal holiday. For those countries who are not as supporIve, it is helpful to engage with diplomats from supporIve countries. Embassies of the French, BriIsh and US all have been given mandates by their superiors to encourage open dialogue and discussions with local groups including LGBT. Approaching these embassies and others oer a way for local acIvists to gather and discuss with naIonal leaders these important issues and to oer debate in a safe space. Many acIvists from around the world have uIlized these diplomats to commemorate the InternaIonal Day Against Homophobia through symbolic gestures. Whether it is raising a rainbow ag over an embassy, or honoring local leaders, these agencies should not be leh untapped, for they can serve a very important factor in future advocacy eorts. o o o Sri Lanka- Had several embassies raise rainbow ags in honor of IDAHO China- Had the BriIsh and French Embassies host events to signal support of the day Panama- AcIvists seized IDAHO as a perfect opportunity to renew a]empts to present a drah proposal of the countrys rst anI-discriminaIon bill at the Human Rights Commission of the NaIonal Assembly. Brazil- President declared the InternaIonal Day Against Homophobia a naIonal holiday to be honored each year.

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia- May 17th

The Use of Arts and Culture:

The uIlizaIon of arIsIc and cultural mediums were an expressive means to arIculate the deep seeded homophobia and transphobia within communiIes. All over the world acIvists found ways to express their concerns about homophobia and transphobia through lm, music, and dance. These expressions paved the way for conversaIon and dialogue to happen about what parIcipants, saw, heard and felt about what they had experienced. Some counIes decided to host lm fes,vals that highlighted two or three lms that discussed diversity, tolerance, acceptance, sexuality, etc, etc in order to challenge parIcipants to think about various themes. These events created a space for people to consider how their lives were impacted both negaIvely and posiIvely by various issues related to the InternaIonal Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. o Bolivia- hosted its third ediIon of the InternaIonal Diversity Film FesIval.

Plays about Homophobia and Transphobia also were crahed by local communiIes to spread the word about hate, ignorance and violence. These plays were also an interacIve way for members of the LGBT community to engage with issues that may not seem t for a public forum or debate. CreaIng a play or arIsIc expression of how Homophobia and Transphobia impact the lives of everyday people can have powerful ramicaIons. o o Ecuador- Produced Theatre Plays highlighIng the impacts of Homophobia and Transphobia in their community Morocco produced a play provocaIvely enItled My Mother Loves Women! addressing lesbianism in Morocco

Art Exhibits also made up a number of 2010 events and acIviIes for arIsts across the world. ArIsts were able to depict the experience of homophobia and transphobia through art and able to give local LGBT community members the creaIve space to express themselves. o Australia- Host an Art Exhibit that idenIed experiences of homophobia and transphobia.

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia - May 17th

Creative Campaigns:
CreaIve campaigns are ways to tackle a hard issue with a unique and deliberate way. These types of campaigns popped up all throughout the world where serious issues were able to be diluted through campaigns that asked parIcipants to stop and think about homophobe and transphobia and the impact that it was having on the local community. Campaigns can take a number of forms, but are usually aimed at striking a point for viewers. Driving home how important the issue is or helping individuals to pause and think even for a moment can have a signicant impact on changing hearts and minds. Campaigns are usually well thought out and take a bit of creaIveness to get o of the ground. Many groups had great campaigns, that in some cases, even went global. o Croa,a- Handed out PrescripIons for treaIng homophobia to government ocials and members of parliament. Israel- In Haifa, acIvists constructed a huge canvas made of pieces of cloth featuring homophobic and transphobic statements unIl it formed the words Homophobia kills. Italy- Launched a NaIonal Campaign called Lamore vince sempre sull odio (Love always wins against hate). Campaign materials included posters and postcards that supported mobillizaIon acIons organized by local LGBT community members. Malta- Flowers of Friendship Volunteers gathered in Valle]a to distribute owers to passers-by as a sign of friendship and respect, challenging the ohen negaIve a_tude towards members of the LGBT community. Flowers were a]ached with posiIve quotes about LGBT issues and spirituality. Philippines- the Dare to Care campaign consisIng of people posing for photographs holding a pink heart cut-out. Driven by opinion leaders the campaign hoped to get LGBT- friendly messages out to a wider public.

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia- May 17th

Promoting Healthy Community Engagement Through Sport:

CreaIng a consciousness about health and awareness is a great way to get people involved in the cause for peace and jusIce. Not all individuals may be up for going to a march or interested in a]ending a arts fesIval. There is a big community of people who are acIvely invested in their health and are a great group of people to tap into as potenIal partners or fellow advocates for the InternaIonal Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. AthleIcs in general can be used as an internaIonal language similar to the Olympics. It is a great space to set aside dierence and come together to enjoy sport for what it is. This experience can be used as an impetus to creaIng dialogue around important issues as done so by 2010 advocates in Czech Republic and Cameroon. Consider how these and other opportuniIes might impact your community.

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Czech Republic: 5K Run Cameroon: Organized a Futbol Friendly Using sports as a vehicle for dialogue and understanding. Australia- Stop Homophobia Today IniIaIve and This is OZ campaigns hosted workshops for athletes, administrators and coaches to develop messages for inclusion.

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International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia - May 17th

Using People Power:

For many acIvists from around the world, the use of mobilizing people in one place has been an eecIve tool for decades. These mass demonstraIons can serve as a powerful visual for communiIes both internal and external to see the support behind any one cause. When seeing these giant groups of people, it says to the public that this issue is supported by many. These massive displays can take on many creaIve forms. From marches from specic points in a city, to demonstraIons out of key locaIons in a community, and random, coordinated ash-mobs in a community center, large groups of people can strike an important visual that acIvists from around the world can use to show their solidarity with an issue. For the InternaIonal Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, countries all over used this tacIc successfully to show their solidarity with the world. - Flash Mobs o - Hungary- Budapest Pride team organized more than 60 parIcipants who dressed up in colors of the Rainbow and blew soap bubbles to Blow Homophobia Away.

Demonstra,ons o Jamaica- Montego Bay acIvists organized a walk for Tolerance, in memorial of Victor Jarre], a young gay man murdered by a police insIgated mob a]ack. Also organized a Stand Against Silence event in Kingston. Lebanon- Held a sit-in in Hamra Street calling for solidarity and freedoms including LGBTQ rights in Lebanon.

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Marches o Venezuela- March Against Homo-Lesbo-Transphobia organized at the center of the capital Caracas. 2000 marchers paraded through the city and gathers in one of the capitals main squares where several members of parliaments commi]ed to work in favor of more inclusive policies. Brazil- First Brazilian NaIonal March Against Homophobia with over 2000 delegates from all Brazilian states who gathers in the poliIcal center of the capital.
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International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia- May 17th

Celebrating the LGBT Community and its Diversity:

Messages of peace and hope that recognize the power of the LGBT community and its diversity can someImes be a winning message in and of itself. DemonstraIng this to a broader community can change hearts and minds in and of itself and capture the a]enIon of those who may be si_ng on the fence in terms of their support for people who experience homophobia and transphobia. Several groups from around the world decided in 2010 to share a message of tolerance and acceptance by creaIng events that peacefully expressed the importance of love and appreciaIon. o China- Free Hugs Event featuring couples disguised as homosexual Igers in a playful allusion to the fac that this year is Chans year of the Tiger. Netherlands- Created the IDAHO awards to honor people or organizaIons that supported the LGBT movement.

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International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia - May 17th

Gather Statistical Data

Gathering staIsIcal data to release in commemoraIon of the InternaIonal Day Against Homophobia has been used by several groups to impart valuable informaIon to the public that local community organizaIons serve. Data is an important fact for a lot of people, as it provides staIsIcal points that give logical meaning to common held concepIons of how the world is and or ought to be. Groups have chosen to gather staIsIcal data both from the LGBT community itself along with the surrounding communiIes in which they live. This method has helped in a number of ways throughout the world to enhance the understanding and acceptance of LGBT people. Just think about how Dr. Alfred Kinsey, an American scienIst, surveyed hundreds of thousands of Americans about their sexual behaviors and how that data was used to open the discussions about sexuality that had never taken place before in that country. o Cameroon- surveyed LGBT people to show that while systemaIcally be rejected and discriminated against by their religious communiIes, 90% of LGBT people sIll had strong religious beliefs Croa,a- survey among poliIcal parIes on their responsibiliIes in ghIng homophobia

Human Rights Framework:

Gathering staIsIcal data that highlights the human rights abuses faced by members of your community can help paint a picture for world wide audiences that help create policy to address issues of sIgma & discriminaIon. By ge_ng accounts of individuals you have lost their homes, been denied health care, kicked out of school, beaten by police, unable to register an organizaIon and an event, etc, these collecIvely can show to the world a violaIon. Consider how this could benet your organizaIon. o Kenya- Advocates gathered informaIon surrounding their human rights and police brutality and for IDAHO 2011 released a document on human rights abused by police and what needed to be done to x the problem.

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International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia- May 17th

Other Potential Ideas:

This secIon merely oers other suggesIons for what groups could do both based o of the 2010 annual report as well as other campaigns throughout the world. The list oers just a sample of the many creaIve ways that individuals and organizaIons from around the world can get involved to commemorate the InternaIonal Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. - - Week long events of fes,vi,es: o o - Use IDAHO to culminate or begin a major week/month of events. Use IDAHO to convene leaders and educators to discuss and deliberate issues related to homophobia and transphobia. Come up with creaIve ways to get people involved such as contests which can moIvate people to have ownership in an acIvity or event that is produced for IDAHO. SomeImes the best way to get, is to give. Consider doing a community service project as an organizaIon in the name of IDAHO. This will bring a posiIve visibility to the issues at the same Ime creaIng more safe spaces for everyone to feel a part of. Consider pulling together several musical arIsts to commemorate IDAHO. Big or small event, it is up to you. Use your own website and your social networking savvy, to promote your IDAHO event. This concept is to gather as many of your friends together and all plan to meet at a predominately heterosexual place such as a bar or club where you all come together in this space where you normally feel excluded all in the name of IDAHO. Use IDAHO to form coaliIons with likeminded groups who support diversity and inclusion. Use IDAHO to come up with a serious of short stories, essays, poems and personal tesImonies about what its like to be LGBT and face homophobia and transphobia. Entries can be anonymous and distributed in a populated area for people to pick up. It is a great way to raise consciousness and reach out to folks. Use IDAHO to show solidarity with internaIonal community partners and also to demonstrate locally the power that is with you on the global stage. Conferences:

Contests: o

Give back to a Community: o

Concerts: o

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Web Campaigns: o o Queer Bomb:

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Coali,ons: o o Crea,ng a Small Magazine/NewsleTer to Share Personal Stories:

Interna,onal Solidarirty: o

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International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia - May 17th

Thank You
Thank you to all of the acIvists around the world who are taking the hard earned Ime to put together an event for the InternaIonal Day Against Homophobia. We are well aware of some of the dicult tasks each of you face in your own personal and public ways to make these events happen. We commend your spirit and your strength and from the bo]om of our hearts we thank you for your Ime and dedicaIon to this very worthy cause.

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International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia- May 17th

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Copyright 2012 International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia May 17th www.dayagainsthomophobia.org

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia - May 17th

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