Human rights are, by definition, the rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled. So by definition, just by being born, a person is entitled to them.
But sometimes some people are so discriminated against that the whole “human” concept gets taken away from them. They are seen by society as something less, a whole other class of beings, and thus, fair game. These people are just magnets for discrimination and abuse, and sadly, a lot of other people, usually law-abiding, righteous citizens, will look the other way.
Loss of employment, life, family – something which would shake a person to their core, happen regularly to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people, and a lot of times they have been told that they “deserve” it. Sometimes the very people who tell them that they deserve less than human treatment are the very people who they had trusted and hoped would protect them – family, religious leaders, peers, and even political leaders.
Five years ago, human rights experts, from diverse regions and backgrounds, including judges, academics, a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Special Procedures, members of treaty bodies, NGO s and others, got together and discussed what could be done to protect LGBT people from these violations. This was done in response to well-documented patterns of abuse, collected from all corners of the globe.
The result was a set of international principles relating to the protection of individuals regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. Named the Yogyakarta Principles after Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where the conference took place, they serve as a universal guide, much like a set of international legal standards, to human rights of LGBT people.
Few people have heard of the Yogyakarta Principles, even five years after their penning. But this June, Lesbian Activism Project, Inc. (LeAP!), in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, brings to life 29 Steps for Human Rights, a multi-media event that hopes to make it a household name. It also seeks to bring the principles of human rights to the awareness of the educators, law-makers, and future leaders of the nation.
29 STEPS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS FESTIVAL PROGRAM
(tentative schedule subject to change without notice ) Quezon City Memorial Circle, Quezon City
June 25, 2011, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Festival activities will be as follow:
- Pink Booths – 29 booths representing the 29 Principles, presented by LGBT, human rights, and women’s rights groups and other supportive establishments.
- Pink Images – An art exhibit of LGBT artists on the Yogyakarta Principles and LGBT human rights in the Philippines.
- Pink Films – A day-long free film screening of LGBT Human Rights–related films, including the “Courage Unfolds” video.
- LGBT Giting Awards – A ceremony awarding 29 supporters and activists who have significantly contributed to the LGBT rights movement in the Philippines.
- Launching of the “Let Courage Unfold: Living the Principles Video and Educational Caravan”
Every human in the world regardless of sex orientation, race, or religion, should be treated fair and as humane as possible, its a simple and basic human rights of everyone born.
To know more about how you can participate in the festival, please email ivankacustodio@gmail.com or Barbie Barbieto | 0917 816 6762 |Barbie.barbieto@gmail.com
Stay gorgeous everyone!
