Dignity Network Canada’s Post

Excellent piece by Dale Smith in Xtra Magazine on the need for Canada to show real leadership in response to anti-LGBTIQ legislation in Uganda. Many important things discussed in it. On funding, the piece says, “Canada could also be doing more in terms of providing funding for support for LGBTQ+ organizations on the ground in Uganda, because there are plenty of people in the country who want to stay in the country and fight for their rights, but there doesn’t seem to have been a move to do that.” I will go further and say that in addition to doing more, Canada could start by doing what it has already committed to do. Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada has not yet disbursed the majority of the funds that are supposed to be spent for the Africa region (ie sub-Saharan Africa) as part of the ”geographic window” of Canada’s LGBTQ2I International Assistance Program 5 year commitment (we’re in the final year). At the Stephen Lewis Foundation we have joined with many of our Dignity Network Canada colleagues in pushing for this funding be prioritized and go to an African organization or African intermediary that is well-positioned to support community-led LGBTIQ organizations on the continent. https://lnkd.in/gwJVrukj

The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem has called for a ceasefire in Gaza. So has Sydney Mardi Gras. The two calls are very different. While I do not support the views of B'Tselem on many matters, their critique of Hamas is significant. B'Tselem critiques the actions of Hamas that have endangered the lives of civilians in Gaza. It says "Hamas has used residents of Gaza as human shields, hidden weapons in their homes, used tunnels it dug under their homes to protect operatives and fired at civilian targets in Israel from within the civilian population." B'Tselem condemns the horrific attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas on October 7 and states: "These crimes cannot be justified. Any attempt to excuse them as part of a 'struggle for national liberation' or for 'decolonisation', or to justify them on other grounds, must be rejected and condemned." B'Tselem argues why the international community must step in "to protect the civilians on both sides". It is critical of both Israel and Hamas. As a human rights organisation it supports its call with information about international law. The letter from Mardi Gras lacks this clear, specific critique of Hamas and its actions in Israel and Gaza. Responsible community leaders in Australia are giving priority to community cohesion and preventing violence. This war is personal to many Australians who have family in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel. Mardi Gras has a great history of promoting community cohesion and mutual understanding. A call for a humanitarian ceasefire by Mardi Gras - a call thousands of Israelis are asking for too - needs to put the value of community cohesion among LGBT+ people first. We need to know about Israeli groups like The Aguda and their work supporting gay and trans Palestinians who seek asylum in Israel and the successful advocacy by Israeli groups for their right to work in Israel: https://lnkd.in/g5Z449t2 We need to know about the TLV LGBTQ Center in Tel Aviv-Jaffa and its community building work https://lnkd.in/geHFvp7a It is insensitive towards LGBT+ members of the Arabic and Palestinian communities in Australia to fail to acknowledge the significant discrimination and community rejection many face here in Australia. In Muslim and Arab countries, including Gaza and the West Bank, they face legal discrimination and at times deadly violence. If Mardi Gras wishes to make public statements about the Israeli Gaza war, it needs to do so in a way that makes all LGBT+ Australians feel welcome and with their struggles for equality within their cultural and faith communities recognised and respected. Mardi Gras needs to make it crystal clear that the Jewish LGBT+ group Dayenu is welcome and will be safe in Mardi Gras 2024. Dayenu is a long-term supporter of Mardi Gras. https://lnkd.in/gHpu-KF9 We need Mardi Gras leaders to step up and make inclusion and safety for all LGBT+ people the first priority in 2024. https://lnkd.in/g5Z449t2

📢 Memorandum For An Inclusive Belgian Foreign Policy! 🏳️🌈🇧🇪 Forbidden Colours demands Belgium's new government to take significant steps towards promoting the human rights of LGBTIQ+ people globally. As Belgium negotiates its 2024-2029 government, we urge the new administration to adopt a robust foreign policy on LGBTIQ+ issues. In July, we sent our memorandum to over 120 MPs in the Belgian Federal Parliament and the relevant negotiators. In light of the rising anti-gender movements across Europe, our proposals emphasize: 🔹 Allocating a specific budget to combat anti-gender movements in Belgium and Europe. 🔹 Implementing effective measures against foreign interference and disinformation on LGBTIQ+ issues. 🔹 Nominating an ambassador to coordinate and promote LGBTIQ+ rights in international policy. Belgium has the opportunity to reinforce its position as a defender of the human rights of LGBTIQ+ people worldwide. As the new government forms, we call for decisive action to protect LGBTIQ+ people and democracy. #LGBTIQ #HumanRights #Belgium #ForbiddenColours #Equality #Diversity #Inclusion #ForeignPolicy

🚀 Behind the Scenes: What Running an LGBTIQ+ Organization Looks Like 🏳️⚧️💼 Leading an LGBTIQ+ organization that supports refugees and asylum seekers comes with unique challenges and immense rewards. It's more than just daily operations; it's about creating safe spaces, advocating for human rights, and providing vital resources for some of the most vulnerable in our community. 🌍 At QueerT Alliance, we're on the front lines, navigating everything from legal hurdles to emotional support, while building a community that empowers individuals to reclaim their voices. Whether it’s helping someone find housing, connect with legal aid, or offering trauma-informed care, our work is as diverse as the people we serve. The highs? Seeing someone we’ve helped finally gain the safety and acceptance they deserve. The lows? Facing a system that's often slow to recognize the unique struggles of LGBTIQ+ refugees. Through it all, the mission remains clear: love, acceptance, and action. There are days of joy, and days of hard-earned progress, but every step forward is a win for equality. 🌈 #Leadership #Activism #LGBTIQ #RefugeeSupport #HumanRights

13 achievements in 13 years: How to lead and grow a human rights organization   Thirteen years ago, I joined Amnesty International Argentina. Today, Amnesty is present in over 150 countries and territories, but in 2011, the organization had very limited reach within Argentina. The local section was struggling to grow and support itself.   When I accepted the role as executive director, after a long series of interviews and tests, we were in such a challenging situation that we were only given a few months to show results. If we couldn’t turn things around , the Argentina section would close.   It has been a long road, and we have learned so much along the way. So here I want to share 13 achievements in 13 :   1️⃣ In 2011, our team had just six members. Today, there are 94 . Our staff has grown by almost 1,500% in 13 years. 2️⃣ Our budget has multiplied by eight. 3️⃣Membership has also skyrocketed. Amnesty supports itself partly through the contributions of its members. We went from 120 members in 2011 to 21,000 members in 2024. That means membership has grown more than 150 times—in other words, a 17,400% increase. 4️⃣We also rely on a tide of allies who, through different actions, support our work and amplify what we do. We call them “supporters”: people who, at some point, signed an action, shared our content, or joined some activity. Today we have one million supporters.  5️⃣Our agenda has also grown exponentially. At the beginning, we only worked on international issues. Then, at the local and regional levels, we only worked on Indigenous People’s rights and sexual and reproductive rights. Today we have five focus areas working on the following issues: the right to protest, freedom of expression, institutional violence, refugees and migrants, armed conflicts, sexual and reproductive rights, LGTBIQ+ rights, rights in digital environments, online violence, racism, the climate crisis, taxation, and international politics and justice. 6️⃣In addition, we work on human rights education, providing training opportunities to different stakeholders. 7️⃣We are one of the few sections of the movement that has an active group of young people working on a youth rights agenda. This group develops its own initiatives and offers workshops on issues related to gender, the environment, online safeguarding, and human rights. follow in comments 👇🏾

We're all human, born with the same right to be free and equal. No matter our #gender, #ethnicity, #tribe, #race, or socio-economic status, #humanrights MUST be safeguarded. Remember Children and Women Rights are Rights too,and MUST be observed/protected! Let's join hands,let our voices be heard and our actions be seen as we fight for #HumanRights- a world where everyone is treated with respect and fairness. United Nations UN-Habitat Youth UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) Office of UNYA-GH Special Envoy-Youth in Diplomatic Affairs and Relations National Youth Caucus Kenya Emerging Brand Africa Media UN Women UNICEF Usawa Health foundation #humanrights #humanrightsforall #humanrightsdefenders #humanrights75

Are you ready for the Rainbow Week of Action? From May 11th - 17th there will be events across Canada focused on #2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion and rights. We are currently seeing one of the biggest backlashes against our community in recent history. This includes anti-trans legislation in three provinces, a significant rise is hate crimes against the community, and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ sentiment growing in strength and organization. So how can you be involved? 🌈Connect with your Member of Parliament through a meeting or a letter 🌈Attend a rally in your municipality (or start one if one isn't planned yet) 🌈Amplify the advocacy - talk about it, share it on social media, get your organization involved The plan is for this to be the largest cross-Canada action for 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion since marriage equality. Let's show people that love wins out over fear. Find a rally near you and take action: www.rainbowequality.ca #RainbowEquality

🏳️🌈Internationally, the Netherlands promotes equal rights for LGBTIQ+ persons in various ways by: ☝️working with other countries in the Equal Rights Coalition (an international coalition that promotes equal rights for LGBTIQ+ persons); 🙌ensuring equal rights for LGBTIQ+ persons is a top priority at international organisations, including the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OCSE), the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Union (EU); 👏entering into strategic partnerships with organisations that support local LGBTIQ+ organisations; maintaining contact with local LGBTIQ+ organisations through the embassy network and supporting them in various ways; 🤝funding projects that promote equal rights for LGBTIQ+ persons through the Human Rights Fund. For an up-to-date overview of projects see the Human Rights Report which is submitted to parliament each year; 🫶marking the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) on 17 May each year. On that day many embassies draw attention to the importance of equal rights for LGBTIQ+ people. #humanrights #pridemonth #equality #LGBTQIA

🚨Why an extended EU Anti-Racism Action Plan needs to protect migrants’ rights more fully! 🇪🇺 With elections for key positions at the EU level decided, it’s time to look ahead. The EU Anti-Racism Action Plan (2020-2025) is up for extension and there is certainly room for improvement. 💡For this year’s Anti-Racism Week, Gowinda Ama A., our Anti-Racism Focal Point, explored key issues on the matter as part of our co-organized event “Queerness, Gender, and Decolonization” with Migrants' Rights Network. Missed the event? No worries! ⬇️ Here is the recording and Ama’s main take-aways summarized: 📺 https://lnkd.in/e9pB-vvA ▪️Current migration policies are deeply rooted in racism, shaped by colonial histories and laws that perpetuate violence against Black and brown queer bodies. ▪️Migration policies mirror our patriarchal society, failing to address the unique vulnerabilities of queer and women migrants. ▪️Narratives of homonationalism and femonationalism are used to pit LGBTQ+ people against racialized individuals. ▪️Migration is often viewed in isolation, disregarding the interconnectedness with other social issues and thus leaving migrants and racialized people insufficiently protected. ➡️ Yet, Ama remains hopeful about what’s next. 🗣 “We need to mandate detailed data collection on the experiences of queer and women migrants, boost funding for intersectional anti-racist organizations, and protect LGBTQ+ and women racialized migrants from violence. This means creating accessible, user-friendly reporting systems for hate crimes and offering targeted support like safe housing, counseling, and legal aid. It's vital that these measures are woven into both EU-level and national action plans to make a real difference in people's lives.” #migration #gender #justice #antiracism #EU