International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) is an international organization bringing together lesbian and gay groups from around the world. It continues to be active in campaigning for gay rights on the international human and civils rights scene and regularly petitions the United Nations and governments.
ILGA is divided into the following regional branches:
- ILGA-Africa (The African Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association)
- ILGA-Asia (The Asian Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association)
- ILGA-ANZAPI (The Australia, New Zealand, Aotearoa and Pacific Islands Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association))
- ILGA-Europe (The European Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association)
- ILGA-North America (The North American Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association)
- ILTGA-LAC (The Latin America and Caribbean Region of the International Lesbian, Transgender and Gay Association)
History
The ILGA was founded during the conference of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality in Coventry, England on 8 August 1978 at a meeting attended by 30 men representing 17 organisations from 14 countries. It was first called the International Gay Association (IGA) but changed its name to ILGA in 1986.
ILGA played a major part in persuading Amnesty International to take on lesbian and gay rights.
It was also instrumental in getting the World Health Organisation to drop homosexuality from its list of illnesses.
In the summer of 1993 the ILGA gained consultative status in the United Nations, as a Non-Governmental-Organization, joining 3,000 orgs throughout the world.
In October 1995, VSG issued a press release explaining why it was resigning from ILGA, declaring that ILGA had become a discriminatory organization that betrayed its own purpose.
Links to groups advocating pedophilia
During the nineties the ILGA became embroiled in a controversy concerning some of its members, which in 1993 included groups like NAMBLA, Martijn, and Project Truth. The ILGA were widely criticised for its acceptance of such groups, especially by other gay rights such as GLAAD[1]
The International Gay Rights Congress held in Edinburgh in December 1974 at which the ILGA was formed was organised by the Scottish Minorities Group, of which the Paedophile Information Exchange was a special interest group.
Pressure from American right-wing groups and politicians began to be exerted on ILGA to kick out its pedophile organization members. The US Mission to the UN asked ILGA to "disassociate itself from NAMBLA and other affiliate organizations" whose "objectives are not consonant with the UN's human rights activities".
In November of 1993, the executive committee declared that ILGA "condems pedophilia" and asked NAMBLA, Martijn, and Project Truth to resign voluntarily from ILGA. None of the groups agreed to do so. On the 15th of November, NAMBLA issued a press release reaffirming its membership in ILGA.
In January 1994, the American Senate, on the motion of the right-wing senator Jesse Helms, unanimously decided that the USA had to withhold funds of more than 118 million dollars due to the UN and its sub-organizations unless the President of the USA could certify to the Congress by 30 September 1994 that no agency of the United Nations 'grants any official status, accreditation or recognition to any organization which promotes, condones or seeks the legalization of pedophilia or which includes as a subsidiary or member any such organization'. (From the VSG release)
On June 23, 1994, at the Annual Conference, NAMBLA, Martijn and Project Truth were expelled from ILGA, on the motion of the executive committee, and it was decided that 'groups or associations whose predominant aim is to support or promote pedophilia are incompatible with the future development of ILGA'.
In October 1994, the executive committee of ILGA suspended the membership of VSG, one of the largest gay groups in Germany, due to its vocal solidarity with NAMBLA and its refusal to purge pedophile members. Its membership was suspended until the next Annual Conference of ILGA in June 1995 when the matter could be dealt with in accordance to ILGA's constitution, namely, expulsion.
On April 25, 1995, 'Verein für sexuelle Gleichberechtigung" (VSG) wrote a bulletin in regard to its suspended ILGA membership.
On September 16, 1995, on the motion of the United States, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) suspended ILGA's consultative status and sent the matter to its Non-Governmental Organizations Committee in order to assess whether or not ILGA was in compliance with the Helms amendment, and do decide whether to restore status, or cancel it.
On May 3, 2003, ECOSOC voted to again decline consultative status to ILGA. ILGA may re-apply in 2005.
Currently, the only gay rights NGO at ECOSOC is the Australian Coalition of Activist Lesbians, which gained consultative status in 1999. Having purged all pro-padeophillia groups from its memebrship, the ILGA continues its work promoting equal rights for lesbian and gay people across the world. Much is still made of the NAMBLA scandal and it is commonly used as an argument against gay rights by various groups, particularly of the right wing.