Dear Friends, Family & Colleagues,
In March 2004, 53 nations will sit at the United Nations in Geneva to discuss, argue, vote and then publicly declare if they believe sexual orientation and gender identity are human rights or not.
In other words, they will say if being Lesbian, Gay, Transgender or Bisexual is a human right.
This will undoubtly "make the news" next March because it is such a controversial issue. What can you do about it?
ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association---www.ilga.org) plans to use the internet to mobilize as many people as possible. A website has been set up: http://www.brazilianresolution.com/ . Pleave go to this website, sign the petition, leave your email address if you wish to receive more information, and pass this information on to everyone you know who would sign it.
ILGA will present the petition to the press and the United Nations. FYI, the U.S. delegate to the the U.N. Human Rights Commission voted against this when it was first introduced last year. Our signatures on this petition will help send a clear message to the UN that there is only one answer to the question: Are LGBT rights human rights? YES!!
Thank you.
Yours, Lee Badgett -- Lee Badgett lbadgett at econs.umass.edu
until June 2004: Prinsengracht 413b 1016HM Amsterdam Netherlands
31-20-420-5746 home 31-65-210-3206 mobile
Address as of June 2004: Dept. of Economics University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003
lbadgett at econs.umass.edu voice: 413-545-0159 fax: 413-545-2921 http://www.people.umass.edu/lbadgett