Recently the Kazakhstan government discussed three amendments on
- “Legislative Acts on Mass Media Issues” to ban media outlets if they publish “propaganda of non-traditional relationships” and
- amendments in “Law on Peaceful Assemblies” to include “propaganda of non-traditional relationships” as a ground for rejection to sanction peaceful meetings by local city authorities and
- in particular the proposal to extend Criminal Code Article 174, which deals with “inciting social, national, racial, class or religious hatred,” to include “promotion of non-traditional sexual relationships.”
On April 17th, this proposal on Mass Media obtained the majority in the Kazakhstan Parliament Low Chamber and passed to the Senate. The text of the law with amendments submitted to the Senate was not published violating procedure.
The LGBTIQ community, alongside allies and fellow citizens of Kazakhstan, are deeply concerned, alarmed, and want to challenge this decision.
This decision by the Kazakh parliament comes at a time when the country faces pressing issues, such as devastating floods in 10 regions that have resulted in significant loss of homes, lives, and livestock. Yet rather than addressing these vital needs, some deputies are focusing on measures that not only distract the public opinion from critical emergencies but also infringe on constitutional protections.
The current legal situation in Kazakhstan for LGBTI persons is the following:
According to Article 14 of the Kazakh Constitution, discrimination is prohibited, which implies the constitutional violations posed by these amendments. Moreover, Kazakhstan supported the 2020 Universal Periodic Review recommendation to guarantee an enabling environment for civil society activities, activist groups and human rights defenders of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. These changes to laws directly undermine this commitment.
These legislative changes are being justified by referencing Article 1 of the Code on Marriage and Family, which defines marriage strictly as a union between a man and a woman. This definition is used to label the LGBTIQ community as a threat to family values. Similarly, proposed amendments to the law on public assemblies would allow local authorities to deny permits for events that involve “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations.”
The amendment proposals reflect a troubling trend towards limiting the rights of the LGBTIQ community, including their right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, as protected under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Kazakhstan ratified in 2006. – Ilaria Todde, Director of Advocacy for EL*C – EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community
Past legislative efforts have targeted and eroded the LGBTIQ community rights. In 2018, discussions around the “Law on the Protection of Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development” included discriminatory clauses against LGBTIQ individuals, and similar provisions were included when the law was adopted in 2015. Additionally, in February 2024, the educational website Selftanu.kz for queer teenagers was blocked by the State, which contradicts the constitutional right to disseminate information freely.
This year, new restrictions have been introduced that prevent LGBTIQ individuals from adopting children or becoming their mentors, enforced by a controversial “special psychological test.”
We urge global support for the LGBTIQ community in Kazakhstan to counter these discriminatory practices. The community faces legal and societal challenges, but with international support, we can fight these injustices. Actions such as making public statements, writing letters to MPs or State stakeholders, or sharing supportive posts can make a difference. Together, we can stand against these oppressive measures and uphold the democratic values enshrined in Kazakhstan’s constitution. United we can prevent another country from falling into the anti propaganda realm.
For further information or to show support, please contact us at kazfeminita@gmail.com.
We are excited to invite you to an extraordinary on-line training Odyssey, set to propel your human resource management skills into the cosmos.
When: Thu, 11 April at 06:00 PM CET
Where: Zoom (register now)
Who: Silvia Casalino (space engineer and EL*C Co-Director) & Anastasiia Danilova (EL*C Community Engagement Manager)
For Whom: EL*C Members (organizations and individuals)
Prepare your spacecraft for a journey through the nebula of NGO management, where you will join fellow astronauts in dissecting the core of Team Management. Our mission will explore the following celestial bodies:
- Analyzing the Essence of Team Management: Delve into the gravitational force that holds a team together, ensuring a harmonious orbit around organizational goals.
- Navigating through Asteroid Fields: Identify the main challenges in the galaxy of HR management and devise strategic maneuvers to navigate through these potentially hazardous conditions.
- Architects of the Stars: Examine the different structures of NGO galaxies and the decision-making processes that guide them, ensuring your organization’s trajectory aligns with its mission.
- Peaceful Coexistence Among Cosmic Entities: Master the art of conflict resolution, ensuring that all beings within your space can coexist peacefully and contribute to the collective mission.
On this journey you will be accompanied by an spaceship captain, the Executive Co-dykerector of EL*C and space engineer (it is not a joke) Silvia Casalino, and a navigator with 13 years of experience in organizational management, EL*C Community Engagement Manager, Anastasia Danilova.
Secure your spot on this spaceship by enlisting today, and prepare to elevate your capabilities to cosmic proportions on 11 of April at 18: 00 CET
[REGISTRATION]
We, the undersigned equality and anti-discrimination organisations, call on the European Union’s leaders and European Institutions to ensure equality, anti-racism, and fundamental rights are a priority during the next legislative mandate.
We noted the advances in Equality which have been made by the European Union during this mandate. The appointment of the first-ever Commissioner for Equality was a welcome and much-needed initiative. It has shown that the European Commission is committed to advancing the values of equality enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union and to its duties under Article 10 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Equality and non-discrimination policies and initiatives became more visible and were addressed through several proposals such as standards for equality bodies, a Directive to combat violence against women, a legislative proposal on the European Disability Card and Parking Card, the action plan against racism, and a proposal for cross-border recognition of parental rights. These initiatives were coupled with strategies on gender equality, LGBTIQ and disability, as well as the EU Roma strategic framework and a Green Paper on Ageing.
However, the EU is far from being a Union of Equality- this is a work in progress, and right now, we witness rising backlash, racial injustice, inequality and discrimination. This needs urgent attention both at the EU and national levels.
For this, we specifically call on the European Union to put in place comprehensive legal protection against discrimination in the EU. We need to guarantee equality of treatment regardless of who you are or where you live in the European Union.
We also call on specific actions to guarantee that the European Union’s Institutions have adequate resources and staffing to prioritise and mainstream equality and non-discrimination, with special attention to vulnerable groups and intersectional discrimination:
- Appoint an EU Commissioner with a strong mandate for Equality and Fundamental Rights.
- Strengthen the European Commission’s services working on equality, non-discrimination and anti-racism, especially by establishing a new Directorate-General for Equality and Fundamental Rights.
- Revise and introduce strong strategies on all grounds under the Equality Framework beyond 2025 and ensure their mainstreaming in all policy areas.
- Ensure that the Equality Task Force has a strong mandate to ensure cooperation between different services on the implementation of the Equality Frameworks and that it works transparently and in close consultation and cooperation with European Equality networks.
- Host an annual “Equality Forum,” gathering policymakers, civil society, and other interested actors to evaluate and develop initiatives for realising a Union of Equality. The Forum should focus particularly on intersectional equality.
- Create an EU Council formation on Equality.
- Ensure the next EU budget properly funds civil society organisations working on equality, non-discrimination and anti-racism.
- Ensure discrimination is also addressed in the work of the EU in external action, international cooperation and humanitarian action.
We remind leaders that all initiatives must meaningfully involve equality organisations, anti-racism organisations and organisations representing the groups most subject to discrimination.
It is essential that the Union’s decision-making process is transparent, and organisations are properly resourced and supported to guarantee their active involvement.
It is also fundamental to ensure that staff working at the EU Institutions properly reflects the European population, not only in terms of nationality but also in terms of diversity of gender, race, ethnic or social origin, membership of a national minority, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and variations of sex characteristics. We call on specific action to ensure it and to guarantee training to all staff training on equality and non-discrimination.
Only by working together will the European Union truly become a Union of Equality that reflects its motto of “United in Diversity”.
The undersigned organisations remain committed to supporting the European Institutions in achieving this crucial objective.
Signatories
European Network Against Racism
EL*C – EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community
Additional Information
Organisations’ work on the European elections: ·
- European Disability Forum: “Building an inclusive future for persons with disabilities in the EU”
- ILGA Europe: “Come out 4 Europe”
- AGE Platform Europe: AGE Manifesto for the 2024 European Parliament elections
- European Network Against Racism: “A Europe for All”
- ERGO Network: “End Racism to build a stronger Europe”
The EuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community (EL*C), the main organization dedicated to the rights of lesbians across Europe, is happy to share news of a significant legal victory in Italy. The Italian court has decisively rejected an attempt to remove non-biological mothers from their children’s birth certificates in Padua. This attempt, made by the local Prosecutor’s Office and requested by the Italian far right government, aimed to challenge the recognition of lesbian couples as both being legal mothers of their children. This court decision is a big win for lesbians, ensuring that non-biological mothers remain recognized on their children’s birth certificates, preserving their rights and their family’s integrity.
This victory follows the “Lesbians are Mothers Too” campaign launched by EL*C, which sparked widespread support across Europe and supported the efforts of the Italian lesbian movement addressing this issue. The campaign led to protests in over 14 European cities, showing a strong community response against the unfair treatment of lesbian mothers in Italy.
Although we celebrate this win, we are aware that the situation could change. The Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Interior have ten days to challenge this decision. EL*C is attentively monitoring developments and stands ready to continue our unwavering support for the lesbian movement in Italy.
Just after their defeat, the Italian government, following the well know pattern of far-right politics, is targeting trans individuals. EL*C stands committed to supporting full self-determination rights for trans people, as part of our ongoing fight for the full equality in rights and opportunities.
This victory is a clear sign that we, lesbian activists and feminists, can defeat the far-right. They will find us united and resilient at every step they take to oppress our lives and deny our existences. EL*C will keep supporting the LGBTQ+ community in Italy and across Europe, advocating for equality and justice.
This Valentine’s Day, EL*C is spotlighting the power of love through our inclusive collection of lesbian Valentine’s Day cards, each designed to celebrate the revolutionary essence of lesbian love. In a world where our affections are often marginalized, these cards serve bold statements of visibility and pride. They are reminders that lesbian love, in all its forms, is a revolutionary act—defiant in its existence and beautiful in its expression.
Crafted with care, these cards carry messages that resonate with the depth and resilience of our community. They are a celebration of the love that dares to speak its name, to stand tall against adversity, and to flourish against the odds. This Valentine’s Day, let’s embrace the revolutionary spirit of lesbian love with EL*C’s unique cards, featuring Audre Lorde, Christine and the Queens, June Jordan, Sappho, Leslie Feinberg, Joelle Sambi, Iulia Hasdeu, Jeanette Winterson and bell hooks.
Download and use them freely!
The EU Institutions agreed on the text of the new Directive on Violence against Women but Member States managed to exclude criminalisation of rape based on consent and explicit mention of LBTI women.
The text produced by the European Commission and especially the position of the European Parliament were excellent, proposing a harmonization of EU law in line with the Istanbul Convention. From the information available, the Council’s position and in particular the intervention of Member States such as France and Germany meant the deletion of Article 5 which provided a definition of rape based on consent. During the press conference, the Parliament negotiators expressed their surprise and disappointment at the fact that Member States were uncomfortable opening a conversation on consent. As they mention, a cultural change is urgently needed.
Explicit mentions of LBTI women appear to have also been deleted from the text, creating possible legal loopholes and contradictions with the Istanbul convention. In substance, Member States tried to ensure to themselves the possibility of excluding LBTI women from the implementation of this Directive.
The result of the negotiations is that this Directive will now criminalise forms of cyberviolence, female genital mutilation and forced marriage. It is very important that there is EU legislation on these heinous crimes. However, it is an indication of the strong intersections between racism and misogyny that, while Member States found “uncomfortable” the conversation around consent, they did not flinch in criminalising acts that are perceived as belonging to “other” communities.
It is disappointing that the EU missed this opportunity to protect women, in all their diversity, from some of the most serious forms of gender-based violence. But as the feminists say: the fight goes on. We will work on the implementation, we will work with our members to ensure that LBTI women are not left out. We continue to fight for better prevention, protection and access to justice for all victims and survivors no matter their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics.
You can watch/listen to this text on our social media: Facebook || Instagram || TikTok || Threads
As the 2023 ends, we want to mark our sorrows and our joys, our pains and our pleasure, our playfully intertangled year of lesbian activism as raging dykes.
We began softly with a staff meeting in the motherland, Lesbos, and continued fiercely as we dived deep into issues affecting our elders and brought lesbophobia to light through our research. Over 50 new lesbian organizations joined our cause as EL*C members, strengthening our ranks – welcome everyone!
Our voices echoed across social media as our lesbian visibility day video went viral on TikTok.
40 lesbian activists are now ready to change the world after our Annual Study Visit to the Council of Europe. Next stop, Brussels! – will you join us in 2024? – Apply now!
60 lesbians from Europe and Central Asia came together to scheme and plot the future of the lesbian movement during our first ever Lesbian Summit. No, we unfortunately didn’t have a hedonistic lesbian orgy, we’ll try again next time.
Kazakhstan gears up for its first lesbian conference! And we loved meeting the fresh dyke voices of Central Asia during our field visit.
We got most of what we asked for in the VAW directive: LBTI women included in the binding provisions, corrective rape as aggravating circumstance, intersex genital mutilation criminalized. BUT the directive isn’t perfect and we joined hands and forces with WAVE, HRW, Amnesty, TGEU, OII and more to get the EU to improve it.
Speaking of collabs, we never fight alone and our collaborators know this. A huge thank you and a grateful “we are in this together forever” to our donors, funders, collaborators, allies and to you, our members – Thank you for trusting us!
We showed the far right that we won’t back down by going out in the thousands in 17 cities across Europe and surprisingly in Mexico City in support of Italian lesbian mothers fighting against blatant governmental lesbophobia. Together we said #LesbiansAreMothersToo with our full chests and our wallets – The fundraiser is still going, click here if you want to participate.
We said no to lesbophobia in Romania and you helped us go viral a second time this year, where lesbophobia was for the first time ever discussed during prime time news. And the pressure worked! The equality body is deciding on the case soon.
We opened the EL*C grants program for our NGO members in the EU and while we managed to fund 31 initiatives across the EU. And we’re coming back for the rest of you – 2 more EL*C grants programs are coming next year and we’re plotting and scheming for more. The lesbian revolution will be fully funded and EL*C will make this a reality.
We empowered 150 dykes in Lesbian Archives, Fundraising and Financial Management. Being an EL*C member really has its perks . If this seduces you, click here to become an EL*C member, we want to satisfy your activist desires. And there’s 6 more trainings coming next year, get be ready to lesbianize the world, ladies, enbies, genderfkrs, intersexy beasts and beyond humans dykes!
We ended the year wrecking havoc in EU politics: we put together all the brave raging feminists who said NO! to sexual and sexist violence in the public sphere and made #MeTooEU a reality – the event was so empowering, you just have to watch it over and over again until you realize the phenomenal lesbian genius in you!
We fight together and our lesbian love will win. Revolution starts with us.
2024, we hope you’re ready for the lesbians cause we’re coming, baby! Nothing can stop us. Will you join our lesbian revolution?
After 2 successful editions in Brussels and Strasbourg, EL*C annual study visit is making a comeback! We are excited to invite 20 EL*C members in Brussels from the April 16 to 18. You’ll be happy to know that your accommodation, travel expenses reimbursementand meals during those 3 days are all provided by EL*C (note: we don’t cover meals during your travel).
[ APPLY HERE ]
This year, we’re diving into the vital topic of the upcoming European elections. The conversation will focus on how to use electoral opportunities to advocate for lesbian rights at local, national and European level. and how to ensure that future Member of the European Parliament are lesbian geniuses or lesbian allies!
We have carefully planned out 3 days of discussions about lesbian activism, advocacy, political communication and networking. You will also get to learn more about inner workings of the European Parliament and the role that civil society can play in the upcoming elections. Plus, this study visit is a fantastic chance to meet and network with policymakers and allies as well as with the lesbians in town – it’s going to be a blast!
Please be aware that we will consider only one application per EL*C member organisation. Individual members are also welcomed to apply. Application are open only to EL*C members from the EU. In case more than 20 applications are received, we’ll be selecting a diverse and inclusive group that represents a wide array of geographic, cultural, and political backgrounds, as well as a variety of lesbian experiences across gender, race, ethnicity, age, ability, migration status, and more.
The program will be held in English, but you don’t need a perfect level of language to participate. If, however, language would be a barrier for you, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
Can’t wait to see you there!
In order to apply please complete this form by the 8 January 2024:
[ APPLY HERE ]
“[…] Cease-fire to the burning day
that worked like war across my
empty throat before I thought to try this way
to say I think we can:
I think we can.”
– June Jordan, “To Sing a Song of Palestine”
EL*C joins the many organizations and individuals around the world in collective grief, anger and protest against the accelerating violence against Palestinians at the hands of the far-right Israeli government. We call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, an end to militarized gender-based violence, the right to return of Palestinian refugees, protection of civilians, the end of occupation and for equal rights to be enacted with haste. We urge national governments and international institutions to follow the call for peace and protection of civilians of the United Nations.
We are seeing again a renewal of military violence in Gaza and the West Bank, violations of international law and targeting of civilians, causing the death of thousands and displacement of hundreds of thousands of persons. The demand for an immediate and permanent ceasefire comes from the profound and revolutionary lesbian love we have for human life and a deep belief in the materialization of equal rights for all. Lesbian and queer rights cannot be realized under occupation and militarized attack, and we denounce the pinkwashing tactics of the Israeli military flying a Pride flag in occupied and under attack Gaza. As many people of Jewish faith across the world have stated, we as lesbians want to reiterate: not in our name. We condemn the use of lesbian and queer rights as an excuse for militarized attack.
We are deeply concerned with the situation of all women, lesbians and children as we know that during times of armed conflict, gender-based violence is exacerbated. We denounce the use of gender-based violence as a weapon of war, whether it is committed by armed military or paramilitary forces, or by anyone using their power to abuse and harm persons in vulnerable positions. Gender-based violence is categorically unacceptable and unjustifiable. We call for a ceasefire because the end of collective punishment of Palestinians is a feminist issue, a reproductive rights issue, an environmental justice issue, a racial justice issue, a lesbian rights issue. As lesbians, as feminists, as intersectionality practitioners, we believe in everyone’s right to live in a world free of violence, lesbophobia and oppression in the many forms it takes.
Furthermore, we are worried and angered by the rising Islamophobia and antisemitism in our region and we call for immediate action to stop this wave of hate and violence against Muslim and Jewish sisters and siblings. Ideologies of hate have no place in our society and in a long tradition of lesbians opposing fascism, we vehemently oppose and condemn far-right ideologies wherever they take root.
We must acknowledge that some of us will go to sleep quietly after this statement, while other people in our network have lived and are living through war. We wanted to take time to release a statement that would take into account these experiences and the positions in our network, that prioritizes the protection of civilians. For this reason, our collective statement comes now rather than sooner, after many conversations and sharing in the grief, worry and anger at what we have been witnessing.
We encourage all our members and everyone reading this statement to participate in and engage in collective actions and demonstrations demanding an immediate ceasefire and the protection of civilians.
Date: December 11th, in the aftermath of International Human Rights Day
Time: 1 p.m. CET
Place: Online (Zoom) – register here!
Duration: 1.5 hours
Introduction:
In celebration of International Human Rights Day, we are proud to present an online event that sheds light on the experiences and needs of two often underrepresented and marginalized groups within the LBTQI community: youth and elderly people. This event will reveal the findings of two essential research projects conducted by EL*C: the first research ,explores the lived experiences of older lesbians, while the second, conducted in collaboration with IGLYO, focuses on the needs and experiences of LBTQI girls, women, and non-binary youth.
Agenda:
1:00 p.m. – 1:05 p.m.: Opening Remarks
● Introduction and significance on International Human Rights Day.
● Welcome message by the Dragana Todorovic, Executive Director of EL*C.
1:05 p.m. – 1:25 p.m.: Presentation of Research Results
● Speaker: Anastasiia Danilova, Advocacy and Community Engagement manager, EL*C.
● Insights from researches on the Lived experiences of older lesbians and Needs and experiences of LBTQI girls, women, and non-binary youth.
1:25 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.: Special Focus on Inclusive Education
● Speaker: Bella FitzPatrick, Executive Director of IGLYO.
● Discussion on challenges and opportunities in inclusive education for LBTI girls, women, and non-binary youth.
1:45 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.: Panel Discussion: Bridging Generations within the LBTQ Community
● Moderator: Anastasia Danilova.
● Speakers:
- Susanne Knoefel, Head of Non-Discrimination: LGBTIQ, Age, Horizontal Matters Unit, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission
- Reingard Wagner, board member of the Dachverband Lesben und Alter (Lesbians and Aging Umbrella Association)
- Alexa Santos, Board Member of Clube Safo, Portugal
● Discussion on intergenerational aspects of LBTQ rights, challenges, and progress.
2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Q&A Session and Closing Remarks
● Open floor for audience questions and comments.
● Summary of key takeaways and call to action.