» AUTUMN 2005 VOL 5 ISSUE 3 NEWSLETTER ISSN 1378-577X www.ilga-europe.org PRIDEPRIDE && PREJUDICEPREJUDICE » Amnesty International on freedom of expression » Chisinau,( Bucharest, Warsaw, Riga… is Moscow next? » free speech versus religious belief The European Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association avenue de Tervueren 94 Bank account # 310-1844088-10 1040 Brussels, Belgium ING Belgique Phone +32 2 609 54 10 ETT-CINQUANTENAIRE Fax +32 2 609 54 19 avenue de Tervueren 10 [email protected] 1040 ETTERBEEK www.ilga-europe.org IBAN BE41 3101 8440 8810 BIC (SWIFT): BBRUBEBB Table of Contents 3 Staff news Message from Patricia 4 ILGA European Conference 5 Revising ILGA-Europe Constitution A very warm welcome to the autumn edition of our 6 News from ILGA-Europe Newsletter! 7 Queer Solidarity Hope you all had a nice summer. For some of us, summer was a 8 Amnesty International on freedom of expression 12 Moldova: court overruled a ban on LGBT demonstration relaxing and carefree period; for others, it was a frantically busy 12 Poland: law and justice for all? time, organising pride events. For many in Europe, the summer 14 Latvia: homophobia tales to the streets ended up being very hot! While in many places the Pride events 16 Romania: victory for LGBT community were as colourful and celebratory as usual, in some parts of 17 Russia: passions around pride event Europe they resulted in bitter battles against discrimination and 18 Netherlands: freedom of speech v religious belief homophobia. LGBT people in some corners of Europe have had 19 News clips to challenge not only ultra nationalists and Christian fundamental- ists, but also Prime Ministers (Latvia) and city mayors (Chisinau,( Warsaw, Bucharest) for their right to peaceful demonstration and The ILGA-Europe Newsletter is Anmeghichean, Stephen Barris, the quarterly newsletter of Anders Dahlbeck, Diane Fisher, expression. That is why this issue of our Newsletter is entirely ILGA-Europe. Volume 5, issue 3, Riccardo Gottardi, Jackie Lewis, dedicated to freedom of expression. autumn 2005. Omar Nahas, Pierre Serne, Katrina Z.S. Schwartz, Tomasz Front cover: Szypula At the end of this month, many of us will gather in Paris for our First LGBT Pride March in Rîga, annual conference. The work programme promises some chal- Latvia Sergej Samilenkov Design & layout: lenging - but exciting - discussions and workshops on a wide Silja Pogule range of topics. On top of the work programme, the local organis- Editor: www.siljadesign.lv Juris Lavrikovs ers promise the participants unforgettable, glamorous and truly Printer: Sofadi Parisian social programme and entertainment! Proof reading: Jo Semlyen, Nate Nicholson, Next Issue: December 2005 From this September the Euroletter is being produced by ILGA- Tracy Findlater Deadline: 10 November 2005 Europe' staff. We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to LBL in Contributors: Denmark and especially to Steffen Jensen who has been editing Nikolai Alekseev, Maxim and publishing the Euroletter on behalf of ILGA-Europe since 1990. Euroletter became a trustworthy source of information on © ILGA-Europe. Reproduction permitted, the political and legal advancement of LGBT rights in Europe not provided that appropriate reference is made only to activists, but also to academics and politicians. Our thanks to the source. also go to all who were involved in editing the Euroletter: Peter Bryld, Torry Kjeldsen, Ken Thomassen, Lisbeth Andersen, Sanne Johl and Soren Baatrup. This Newsletter is published publication does not necessarily with the support of the European reflect the position or opinion We hope you will enjoy this Newsletter and look forward to seeing Commission – The European of the European Commission. many of you in Paris! Union against discrimination. It is not liable for any use that The information contained in this may be made of this information. PATRICIA PRENDIVILLE ILGA-Europe's Executive Director »P2 ILGA-EUROPE NEWSLETTER Council of Europe and the EU), New welcomes! development of the Eastern European LGBT movement and New Programmes work on transgender issues. Lobbying the OSCE will be car- ried out around hate crimes, Director Staff News police trainings, explicit inclu- ture and arts, including cine- sion of sexual orientation, gen- levels. At national level, matography, theatre, opera and der identity and gender expres- Maxim Anmeghichean Maxim was also a member literature, are among his many sion into the ODIHR (Office for of the NGO Council, found- personal interests. Democratic Institutions and Having graduated from ing member of the National Human Rights) mandate. Moldovan State University in AIDS Network, and board For the past three years he has Council of Europe work will the field of journalism and com- member of the National been actively involved with ILGA- evolve around the freedom of munication sciences, Max has Youth Council of Moldova Europe as a board member, taking assembly and promotion of linked all of his professional life (NYCM), having in his man- part in development of IE's Eastern cases to the European Court of with the LGBT movement. He date capacity building and European work, lobbying before the Human Rights. Mechanisms, has over five years of experi- organisational development. Council of Europe and the provided by the European ence within the Moldovan LGBT Within the NYCM Maxim has European Union, and fundraising. Union in relation to its neigh- movement (Information Centre coordinated a TACIS-funded bours will be used to promote "GenderDoc-M"), starting it real- project on promotion of His new post with ILGA-Europe rights of LGBT people in ly from scratch and developing, social inclusion using psy- is a professionally challenging Eastern Europe. To make all together with the team, into a chosocial animation tools one. It combines advocacy this work a reality with proper strong and respected organisa- (social video, theatre forum, work before three major resources, fundraising will be tion at national and regional etc.). Not surprising, as cul- European institutions (OSCE, one of the priorities as well. New Policy Officer (Networks) based on race, ethnicity and a research assistant to the UN experiences, she grew to religion. In the context of grad- Special Rapporteur on freedom believe that fighting for the uate research and various vol- of expression, she was rights of victims of discrimina- unteer activities, she paid involved in drafting the first let- tion based on sexual orienta- attention to social exclusion ter signed by UN experts which tion and gender identity is a Evelyne Paradis and racial discrimination in called for submissions of infor- key priority for the human Staff News housing, education and mation on violations based on rights movement. Originally from Canada, employment. Evelyne also par- sexual orientation or gender Evelyne has been working in ticipated to the preparation of identity. As an NGO represen- Evelyne completed studies in the field of human rights for the European and UN confer- tative to the Commission on history, political science and over six years. She has worked ences against racism as a visit- Human Rights from 2002 to European affairs in Canada and for the UN High Commission ing researcher to the European 2004, she followed closely in France. She holds a Master's for Human Rights, the Council Commission against Racism negotiations of a resolution on degree in political science from of Europe and human rights (1999) and a member of the sexual orientation, and pub- Carleton University (Canada). NGOs in Canada, including Secretariat of the 2001 World lished articles in human rights Human Rights Internet and the Conference against Racism. newsletters. In 2005, she pre- I warmly welcome the new Action des Chrétiens pour sented a mission report on sex- additions to our team in l'Abolition de la Torture. Evelyne's commitment to ual minorities before the UN Brussels and am delighted we human rights and to advancing Human Rights Committee, on have such dedicated profes- Much of Evelyne's academic protection against all forms of behalf of the International sionals joining the team. and professional work has discrimination led her to work Research Center for Social focused on discrimination on LGBT issues. In 2001, while Minorities. Through these PP ILGA-EUROPE NEWSLETTER »P3 ...yet another good bye... In September ILGA-Europe ing to the OSCE HDIM He will be missed a great deal says goodbye to Miha (Human Dimension by the organisation but we wish Lobnik, project assistant for Implementation Meeting) that him the best of luck in his new the Eastern Europe, Council helped pave the way for our professional and personal life, of Europe and Transgender developing collaboration with as well as for his return to programmes. Miha has been ODHIR (Office of Democratic grass root activism - we are invaluable for his expertise Institutions and Human confident that we will continue Miha Lobnik Staff News on East European issues and Rights). On that occasion we to hear a lot about him. has played a crucial role in had the opportunity to appre- the implementation of our ciate not only his great skills JACKIE LEWIS OSI funded Health Project. as a presenter, but also his RICCARDO GOTTARDI Also very significant was his capacity for networking and Executive Board Co-Chairs contribution to the side meet- managing events. Let's live La Vie En Rose in Paris! So! here we are, a few days bers. This way the participants tion in the main hall of the luxu- to make their own discovery of from Paris conference. It's will have a more coherent and rious Paris City Hall; a closing the busy city night-life, you will been quite a thrill (and a efficient manner to follow the party in a trendy nightclub; receive a package with tremendous lot of work…) conference and to work. There many other wonderful things.