WORLD CONGRESS AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA

A world congress against homophobia is set to be held in Paris in May, reports UK Gay News.

The proposal for the congress, UK Gay News has been told, was made by Rama Yade, the French minister for human rights as a major French contribution to International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) which the government officially recognised last year.

The founder of IDAHO, Louis-Georges Tin, speaking at a press conference in May last year, said that the French government’s recognition of IDAHO was not just a symbolic gesture.

“[It] will help to better prepare and coordinate actions with the different ministries next year,” he added. It appears that his wish has come true.

The congress, which is being held by Ms. Yade’s human Rrghts ministry on May 16, will be part of the official programme organised by the French government to celebrate one year of recognition of IDAHO in France.

It is the first time that the conservative Sarkozy government has planned an LGBT event at ministerial level.

The agenda is said to include the further steps to be taken following the French initiative which led last December to a United Nations statement condemning homophobia being signed by 66 countries. The statement was read in the UN General Assembly by Argentina.

Mr. Tin first spoke of his ambition to get a declaration read in the UN more than three years ago in Paris, repeating his ambition in London early last year. It was last May when the French government officially recognised IDAHO that detailed discussions on the UN project were started with Ms. Yade’s ministry – and a number of international gay and lesbian NGOs we brought-in to help.

Mr Tin could not be reached for comment, but it is becoming clear that the campaign he is leading within the IDAHO committee seems to be having more and more impact on both a national and international scale.

The congress, UK Gay News understands, could be recurring. For this year, the IDAHO committee has chosen combating transphobia as its theme.