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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 1995)
*uo ti*ui > ¿WOT .B i^dufc'o ? *»r ju st out ▼ oc to bur « . 1999 ▼ 17 U.N. C onference Continued from page 15 An estimated 4,000 observers from the NGO forum—includingTinker—participated in the con ference in an effort to shape the final platform. She and lesbian activists from several countries were part of a Lesbian Caucus, including representa tives from 30 accredited organizations, that weighed in with a list of demands. The cardinal tenet of the caucus’ list was that all women—regardless of sexual orientation—have an inalienable claim to human rights guarantees and protections. The phrase “sexual orientation” was included in brackets in the draft platform; the brackets indicated that some delegations objected to the text. The U.S. delegation was reportedly the first to propose removing the b rack ets— a move which caused a stir among oppos ing delegations. Ac cording to media reports, Geraldine Ferraro, head of the Human Rights sec tion of the U.S. del egation, was “liter ally booed by some of the other coun tries” for her sug gestion that the brackets be re moved. Lesbian rights activ ists also Palesa Beverley Ditsie deemed “the right to o f South Africa determ ine o n e ’s sexual identity; the right to control one’s own body, particularly in establishing intimate rela tionships...; [and] the right tochoose if, when, and with whom to bear or raise children as fundamental components of the human rights of all women, regardless of sexual orientation.” “At the last World Conference on Women 10 years ago, only one country—The Netherlands spoke out in favor of lesbians, and at this conference more than 30 countries have done so, says Rachel Rosenbloom of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. — ” “Lesbians were out there fighting for reproduc tive and birth control rights, but they were also letting others know that women could actually enjoy their sexuality and have pleasure for pleasure’s sake. That was very exciting to me,” says 21-year-old Sabrina Godfrey, a student at Lewis & Clark College in Portland. Godfrey, who is a lesbian, attended the NGO forum. “I think perhaps the most important thing about the forum is that it is so grass roots oriented,” she says. “Women were able to talk with each other on a one-to-one basis. They have made connections and have had experiences they will remember their whole lives.” Portland resident Isabel Villar, who was bom and raised in Chile, agrees: "The thought of being with thousands of women from around the world at the largest gathering of women anywhere, to me that was incredible.” The 52-year-old Villar, who is a lesbian but doesn’t consider herself a political activist, says many of the stories she heard moved her with emotional ferocity. “I went to one workshop talking about how [Burmese women] are being forced into prostitu tion. Poverty in that country is very bad, and women are being tricked into going to Thailand by people who say there are good jobs there,” says Villar. “The women would go, and there would be no high-paying jobs. Instead they would be taken away, put into places surrounded by barbed wire, and made into prostitutes. It’s so painful to hear these stories, but the women’s courage to speak out is astounding. It inspires so much.” (Above) Women at the plenary session o f the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing tents. The tent served as a center for lesbian networking, information and activities. “It was incredible to see lesbians from around the world who gathered at the tent,” says Godfrey. "How many times do we get an opportunity like that?” Lesbians also held a march through the forum site that included 500 participants from 30 countries. esbian and bisexual women were speaking According to wire reports, marchers out in a variety of ways. For instance, for the chanted “Lesbian rights are human first time at an NGO forum an official Les rig h ts” and “ L iberté, ég alité, bian Tent was included among several diversity homosexualité.” They also read their list of conference demands. Before the lesbian march a group of Muslim women protested homo sexuality and adultery, and through Bella Abzug waits outside the U.N. security office as two out the U.N. conference some partici Canadian lesbian demonstrators are questioned pants—particularly Islamic and Chris tian fundamentalists— expressed their opposition that discriminate against lesbian and gay families to extending human rights protections to lesbians. by denying them legal protection and social recog Despite the opposition, Tinker says, bridges were nition; and employment laws that permit discrimi built. nation. “There had supposedly been an incident where “I told them about my family, about my grand two lesbians stood in front of Muslim women and child,” she says. “They were silent initially but kissed. Apparently they felt the lesbians had been later asked questions. Some were curious as to how deliberately antagonistic,” she says. “I don’t know lesbians could have children, and one woman if that was the case, but I wanted them to know that wanted to know how I could go against God. I said this [alleged attitude] didn’t represent the views of I was a Christian and God wanted me to be a the Lesbian Caucus.” lesbian. She would [repeatedly] ask, 'This is what Tinker jumped at an opportunity to speak be God wants? God wants this?’ She finally said, ‘Oh. fore a group of Muslim women. As she had done this is your religion.’ It seemed like she could throughout the conference, she talked about the accept [my lesbianism] when it was cast as my ways that children of lesbian and gay parents are religious convictions. It was very interesting.” affected by sexual orientation discrimination, par Tinker adds: “After that dialogue, when I would ticularly by educational systems that refuse to Continued on page 19 recognize and respect their families; marriage laws Theresa Enrico o f Portland L