Events

This year Folia (formerly known as LinC) is organizing the 'lesbiennedag' (lesbian day) for the twentieth time.

As it is the twentieth edition, this year's edition will be special. For the first time the L-day will be preceded by a L-week. During this L-week, you can enjoy lots of activities, workshops,... all over Flanders and Brussels.

The L-day takes place on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at the Vooruit in Ghent.

In order to collect funds for the first french speaking edition of the lesbian day, a supporting party is organised this Friday, August 18, 2006 at the Factory (rue fossé aux loups 12, 1000 Brussels).
More info on http://www.lesbiennedag.be/images/affiche_wunderbar_big.jpg

The main objective of GTC-Treaty Bodies course is to empower organisations by training a representative to effectively use the United Nations Treaty Body (TB) system.

The 3-day event of gay & lesbian cinema will show European previews, meetings with directors and a window to the Australian queer movies, twinned with Circuito Off International Short Films Festival, with its glbt section and a queer party with dj and vj. The “Days of Gay & Lesbian Cinema”, at their second edition, will be at Lido with new partners and the will to be under the lights of the Mostra -International Film Festival of Venice.

Every night at the Cinema Astra in Lido, the “Days” will open at h.20.00, with an episode of “The line of beauty”, the tv series produced by the BBC and drawn on the beautiful novel by Alan Hollingurst [published this year in Italy by Mondadori] about the hedonist, cynical and violently Thatcherian London of the 80'es.

So, every night you could watch European previews: on September the 5th, “Rag Tag” by Adaora Nwandu (UK/Nigeria, 2006), a story of friendship and love between two young Nigerian guys, grown in London, a contradictory city full of conflicts and social discomfort. A preview with an outstanding hip-hip soundtrack.

On the 6th, an absolutely preview "Ma la Spagna non era cattolica?" by Peter Marcias (Italy, 2006) regarding the reactions of Italian people about the novelties brought by Zapatero.

On September the 7th it will close the event “Colma: the Musical" by Richard Wong (Usa, 2006), an Asian-American musical about the life and desires of three best friends.

The three days will be also marked by short films, among which “Gueule de Princesse" by Pépita Mars (France, 2006) and eight Australian productions brought by Circuito Off, one of the most important international short film festival, which takes place just in Venice during those days [in the island of S.Servolo], at its seventh edition.

Produced and distributed by the “Queer Screen Vision” Australian organization, the Venetian festival has selected for the Astra Cinema theatre nine short films, with a selection focused on the gay and lesbian imagery. Since two years it is a fixed appointment of Circuito Off. This festival dedicates to the queer cultures also some meetings with Lgbt dj and vj, intermingling different cultural languages.

Everyday, at 13.30, at the Venice Film Commission stand [inside the Palace of the ex-Casinò in Lido], the press conferences will take place, with film directors participating in the three-day event of gay cinema.

The Days of Homosexual cinema and the Queer Screens are promoted by CinemArte and Artecolica associations, with the support of the LGBT Observatory of the Muncipality of Venice, the Province of Venice [the Culture Dept.] and Gay.tv in collaboration with Arcigay.

The three-day of cinema is an important appointment to the LGBT Observatory. It is also a step of the “Queer too queer” project, the urban laboratory which is involving young artists about the subjects of identity, bodies, cultures. A laboratory built over workshops and creative productions, for which the three-day event of glbt cinema represents a very useful depository of imagery and visual cultures.

Scandinavias by far largest Pride event.

Further information on www.stockholmpride.org

Dear friends,

Zagreb Pride Organizing Committee for 2006 is co-organizing a regional Pride event in Zagreb, Croatia. This year’s Zagreb Pride manifestation is being organized in cooperation with LGBTIQ activists and organizations from the following countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Kosova/o, Albania, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Latvia.

We would like to use this opportunity to announce the first Eastern European Pride, which is simultaneously Zagreb’s fifth Pride event. It will take place from June 22 to June 25, 2006in Zagreb, Croatia. .

Like every year, the Pride March will serve as a public gathering of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transexual, intersexual and queer (LGBTIQ) persons.

This year’s Pride event will be held under the title (English / French) The Internationale Pride 2006, Zagreb – “To live freely” / L'Internationale Pride 2006, Zagreb – " Vivre librement", or in local language(s): Internacionala Pride 2006., Zagreb – "Živ(j)eti slobodno".

Pride events will include:

• The opening at Matica Hrvatska: Exhibition (22.6. – 1.7.)
• a seminar and workshop by ILGA-Europe on monitoring Pride events for human rights violations (22.6.2006.)
• a round table discussion entitled “The freedom of assembly and Pride violence” (23.6.)
• the screening of Pride movies, including Pride documentaries / Pride footage from the region
• Pride march : Pride speeches delivered by guests from the region, especially by those individuals / organizations unable to organize Pride events in their countries due to the prevailing sociopolitical climate (24.6.)
• artists, performers, and entertainers from Eastern Europe (24.6.)
• The Rainbow party (24.6.)

The Internationale Pride 2006 is envisioned as a means of drawing attention to the issue of the freedom of assembly. Out of all ex-Yugoslav states, only Slovenia and Croatia have a tradition of organizing Pride events, whereas the attempt to organize such an event in Belgrade, Serbia, ended in a bloody showdown between the police and the counter-protesters, with the participants heavily beaten up. This year’s Pride manifestation will bring together representatives of those Eastern European countries where the sociopolitical climate is not ripe for the organization of Pride events in cities and towns, or where such a manifestation is expressly forbidden by the authorities.

The freedom of assembly is often seen as a key element to the existence of liberal democracies. However, in recent years, there have been bans and limitations on the right to freedom of assembly of LGBTIQ population in several countries in the Eastern European region. The goal of this year's Pride event is to raise awareness about the violation of this human right and show solidarity with LGBTIQ population and organizations in those countries in the region where Pride events cannot take place. We want to raise awareness of the general public about the violence directed against LGBTIQ persons and their oppression, as well as to empower this community through public Pride events.

Internacionala Pride 2006, Zagreb is supported by:
Kontra (Croatia)
Queer Zagreb (Croatia)
Miks (Croatia)
Kuga (Croatia)
Center for Peace Studies (Croatia)
Women’s Room (Croatia)
Inqueerzicija (Croatia)
DIH (Slovenia)
Organization Q (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Queer Beograd (Serbia)
Labris (Serbia)
Spy (Serbia)
Duga (Serbia)
Gej strejt alijansa (Serbia)
Gejten (Serbia)
NLO (Serbia)
Lambda (Serbia)
Žene na delu (Serbia)
Masso (Macedonia)
QESh (Kosova/o)
GISh (Albania)
Kampanii Przeciw Homofobii (Poland)
Altera (Slovakia)
Accept (Romania)
Queer Bulgaria (Bulgaria)
Lithuanian Gay League (Lithuania)
Mozaīka (Latvia)
Southeastern European Queer Network (SEEQ)

All the best and see you in Zagreb!

Zagreb Pride Organizing Committee:
Daniel(a) Šurjan, Jelena Poštić, Marko Jurčić, Sanda Brumen

Regional Pride Committee member:
Aleksandar Prica (Duga, Serbia)

France - Paris : Rendez-vous tous devant l'ambassade de Russie pour manifester !
L'interassociative LGBT rappelle aujourd'hui dans un communiqué, qu'un rassemblement est prévu Samedi prochain, afin de protester contre les violents événements homophobes, survenus Samedi 27 Mai à Moscou : " Face à ces atteintes aux droits fondamentaux, face à ces agressions homophobes, nous appelons à manifester samedi prochain, devant l'ambassade de Russie pour protester contre l'attitude du maire de Moscou, celle des mouvements néo-fascistes et religieux impliqués dans les agressions homophobes, et pour demander à M. Poutine de prendre les mesures et les sanctions qui s'imposent."
Les signataires de la manifestation sont An Nou Allé !, ARDHIS, Aujourd'hui Autrement, Centre Gai et Lesbien de Paris, Comité IDAHO, David et Jonathan, Elus locaux Contre le Sida, Fédération Internationale des Droits de l'Homme, Homosexualité Et Socialisme, Inter LGBT, International Gay and Lesbian Youth Organisation, L'Autre Cercle, Les Verts, Ligue des Droits de l'Homme, On est là, Parti Communiste Français, Parti Radical de Gauche, Parti Socialiste, RAVAD, SOS Homophobie.
Soyons tous présents Samedi 3 Juin dès 16h00 à l'angle de Lannes et de la rue Dufrenoy (Métro : Rue de la Pompe)

”Two Trans-ordinary stories”. Work, Affections, Solidarities
The world of trans people is wider and more complex than magazine chronicles and “public opinion” use to tell us. We can ride many streets and projects different from those which are traditionally displayed and imposed as the only way of public identification for trans people.

With these evidences, we have the pretension to tell what can be possible. With employment, a network of remarkable affections and the supportive help of a unique association like M.I.T. (Transsexual Identity Movement) it’s possible to build up a rich, upstanding and independent life project . Of course we still have problems, hard moments and contradictions, but if the will and the network are strong enough, we can overcome them.

The work remains central, and without this opportunity of income, inclusion and development, everything becomes more difficult.

In the case of Sandra and Mara we see two persons who have a stable job, even if it’s hard-fought.

It’s not the case of the millions of boys and girls who live in a precarious working condition nor of the most of trans people, who even don’t have the opportunity of a precarious short-term job in such a weak labor market.

In this case, trade-union organizations have a double task: give a position of stability to those people who live in a precarious situation and to operate with supportive actions to those people who live in particularly underprivileged situations. In both the protection and research of employment.

Something has been done during these years, like the European projects and the “new rights” front offices at the trade-union seats, but it’s not enough. We have to set upon stereotypes, discriminations and in this fields, culture and communication are decisive. This is the purpose of the event: a moment of meeting, culture, considerations, but also a celebration of the path we have been doing all these years, and a motivating force for our next events regarding these matters.

Programme

at 20.00
presentation and screening of the documentary

"Nel lavoro di Sandra"

intervention byGiangiacomo De Stefano - director
Sandra Monducci - protagonist
Marcella Di Folco e Porpora Marcasciano – representatives of M.I.T.
Fausto Viviani - C.G.I.L. Emilia-Romagna
at 21.10
greetings by

Milli Virgilio – Local Council at the Policies of the Differences - Municipality of Bologna
Sergio Palmieri - Quartiere Porto Bologna
Mauro Alboresi - C.G.I.L. Bologna
Alberta Basaglia – Municipality of Venice

at 22.00
presentation and screening of the documentary

"Chiamami Mara"
Interventions by

Bruno Bigoni – directors
Mara Siclari e Silvia Marocchino – protagonists
Elena Petrosino - C.G.I.L. Venezia

with the participation of Vladimir Luxuria - parliamentarian

14th June 2006

Presentation of the essay:

 Sexualidades alternativas en el arte y la cultura de la India

by Ana García-Arroyo

The event will take place at Casa Asia, Barcelona.

(This essay will also come out in the English version by the end of july, with the title,  The Construction of Queer Culture in India: Pioneers & Landmarks).

Both books are published by Ellas Editorial. For further information check www.ellaseditorial.com, or contact the writer at the e-mail below.

  

Peaceful protest outside the Russian consulate, 58/60 Melville St, Edinburgh, Scotland

3.45pm Friday 2nd June 2006

To protest the banning of Moscow Pride by the Moscow authorities, and the failure of the authorities to protect Pride marchers from ultra-nationalist attackers.

Peaceful protest in Bern, 27 May 2006, manifestation to show solidarity with all queer people in Moscow and in order to support Moscow Pride, with green deputy of the cantonal government of Bern, Bernhard Pulver