No other political party has included us in the government program in an official manner before. This is why we applaud this initiative and we fully support it. We hope that other parties express their takes, and at the same time, on the plans that their government platform for LGBT citizens that live and pay taxes to the municipalities like any other taxpayer. The formal presentation took place at SOMOSGAY's community center and went further with a visit to the LGBT meeting places in Asuncion, where Karina Rodriguez, candidate for councillor for Frente Guasu party, presented to the gay, lesbian and trans public, the platforms proposed in a printed brochure. In the aforementioned material can be read: The equality of rights and defense of a decent life with equality and freedom is one of the main objectives to the Frente Guasu. This is why, from the Council of Asuncion we suggest to propel a series of actions and measures against all types of discrimination and specifically homophobia. In the material campaigns against discrimination, homophobia and the true acknowledgement of human rights to LGBT citizens are all cited; furthermore, they will propel necessary procedures for the enactment of the Ordinance Against Discrimination for Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, presented by the current councillor Rocio Casco and candidate for the Frente Guasu. They will also encourage the enactment of May 17th as the International Day Against Homophobia and June 28th as LGBT Pride Day, adding both dates to the celebrations of the capital city. They will join the study on the Ordinance about Sex Work. They will promote the free integral attention to sex workers on the Municipal Policlinic, propel projects of habilitation of Community Day Cares in the municipal properties to children of the workers and will accompany the necessary administrative tasks for the enactment of the Ordinance "Asuncion Free from the Violence to Women" presented by the actual councillor Rocio Casco and also known candidate for the Frente Guasu. Over the course of the week, the Paraguayan LGBT Federation received the support of Pepa Josefina Kostianovsky, candidate for the National Encounter Party, who affirmed her commitment to the defense for equality in Asuncion, stating: "I defend the rights of homosexuals, women, children, handicapped, weak ones, different ones. I might not be gay but I defend those that, exposing themselves to hostility, organize themselves to defend their rights and I applaud them." The support of Elvio Segovia, candidate for the Progresist Democrat Party, was also received, who expressed being against discrimination and unfairness. SOMOSGAY and the other members of the Paraguayan LGBT Federation applaud this initiative of the Frente Guasu, the candidate to councillor Pepa Kostianovsky for the National Encounter Party and the candidate to councillor Elvio segovia, for the Progresist Democrat Party and hope that the other parties and political groups will include in their proposing platforms, similar initiatives that point towards equality for LGBT taxpayers of all cities in the country.

Councillors from Frente Guasu present municipal proposals for the LGBT citizenry in Asuncion

Councillors-from-Frente-Guasu-present-municipal-proposals-for-the-LGBT-citizenry-in-Asuncion

Each year, the World AIDS Campaign promotes the central topic of calling the attention to this topic. This year's topic is "Universal Access and Human Rights". To highlight the importance of human rights in the response to AIDS, the General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, has informed to the General Assembly of the UN that the reduction of essential information access on HIV, the tools of prevention, treatment and services are incompatible with their compromises with human rights. He highlighted the fact that when human rights are promoted to protect the people living with HIV and the members of other vulnerable groups, there are less infections, less demand of retroviral treatment, and less deaths. In Paraguay, SOMOSGAY adds itself to the World Campaign, in its objective of calling the global attention on the rights of people living with HIV and the most vulnerable populations of this, being gay males one of the most vulnerable in our country. In its intention to mobilize the support of protection of these rights with the intention to accomplish the universal access to prevention, treatment, attention and support and fight the stigma and discrimination, SOMOSGAY adds the support of the Vice-Ministry of Youth and the Information and Communication Secretary for the Development, of the Republic's Presidency. This year, under the motto "Lights for the Rights", citizens are invited to attend this event with the lights on for human rights, decorating their houses with red lights, using a red ribbon during the week of December 1st or just using red in their profile pictures in social networks like orkut, facebook, twitter, etc. In the week of November 29th to December 3rd, SOMOSGAY will be organizing as well a series of activities under this global campaign.
In line with the need to widen the reach of the national response of Paraguay to HIV, SOMOSGAY with the support of amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, will offer from December on free HIV testing services at the SOMOSGAY Community Center, aimed at the entire citizenry. This service is part of the called "Revolution of the Prevention", an innovative strategy proposed by the UNAIDS, which aims to combine part of the previously considered strategies of treatment, making them more accessible to all people. The access to counseling and testing (the HIV test), are part of this strategy, and it is with this that SOMOSGAY expects to accomplish a real Revolution of Prevention of HIV in Paraguay.

SOMOSGAY organizes the campaign "Lights for rights" in the week of fight against HIV in Paraguay

SOMOSGAY-organizes-the-campaign-Lights-for-rights-in-the-week-of-fight-against-HIV-in-Paraguay

The First LGBT Congress Paraguay 2010 opens a positive space for the discussion of the problems of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders through the topic of "Human Rights to LGBT persons in Paraguay: Let us guarantee the full citizenship of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT)". This Congress is a historic initiative for the LGBT population, to be heard and build political demands of mobilization towards diverse institutions of the government and civil society; therefore enabling the public debate that articulates the diverse sectors of the society. The First LGBT Congress Paraguay 2010 consists of a series of debates, courses and talks to LGBT activists and representatives of each department. This year the aim is to cover and analyze the various necessities if the LGBT population like work, justice and public safety, the health and well being, sports and education; Creating tools to fight the violence, homophobia and discrimination against our community. Besides that, the Congress will initiate the discussion of specific demands of each segment that makes up the LGBT population in terms of public policies of the governments (central, departmental and municipal); reinforce the efforts, thoughts and actions towards the consolidation of the paraguayan Lay State, free of prejudice and orientated to the universal principles of the Letter of Human Rights. As a result of this Congress there is a strive to the establishment of work lines of the Paraguayan LGBT Federation, that will guide its activities to guarantee to civil, social, economic and political rights for the LGBT population. Those that are interested in signing up, can do so by sending an email with their contact info to comunicacion@somosgay.org or by visiting us at the SOMOSGAY CENTER (Manduvira 367 almost Chile, during office hours). Signing up and attending the Congress are totally free and there are limited spaces. The First LGBT Congress Paraguay 2010 will meet activists from the country in the advance of the consolidation of a movement of social justice that supports the construction of a paraguayan society without exclusions.

In November the First LGBT National Congress Paraguay 2010 takes place

In-November-the-First-LGBT-National-Congress-Paraguay-2010-takes-place

Music and art demanded the secular and republican character of the paraguayan State, highlighting that the principles of equality and freedom can not be threaten by speeches and violent demonstrations that seek to impose obscurantist dogmatic and deeply fundamentalist principles, trying to stop the advance of human rights to all in Paraguay. Artists such as Rolando Chaparro, Hugo Ferreira, Dayana Urunaga, Las Residentas Rock, Square Pants, MNESIS, live DJs, among others, who marked the morning scene and beginning of the afternoon with the note that gave voice and music to songs on equality in favour of freedom. The Liberal Senator Alfredo Jaeggli also participated of the event and expressed, once again, his commitment of support on the law that will allow equal marriage in Paraguay, whenever it is presented by SOMOSGAY. The line up of speeches included the socialist councilor Rocio Casco, Pachin Centurion from CEPATE and Johana Ortega from Youth of the Country with Solidarity, who stressed the importance of the constitutional principles of equality and freedom as guides of the political debate in the country. A letter of support was received from the Office of the Resident Representative in our country from the System of United Nations in an intern character, Dr. Ruben Figueroa, who expressed: "It is known by you the position of the United Nations manifestly contrary to any expression that makes vulnerable the individual and citizen rights of people in terms of diversity and equality. In this particular subject, to the recent events that are of public knowledge with the Guiding Pedagogical Framework and the negative derivations that have been produced. We were also clear in supporting its construction in a participative process of years of discussion and enrichment from the most diverse positions. Three days ago we signed as witness of honor in a letter of agreement to initiatives of the MEC (Ministry of Education and Culture) supporting the political position of the Paraguayan State. I mean to signify with this our full adhesion to the most elemental principles of human rights, gender equality, without discrimination, and protection of integrity of persons. Wishing you success in this matter, I take this opportunity to greet you." Miguel Angel Auad Dom&iacute;nguez (Petunia), president of CHOPA, asked where the mothers and fathers of all our transgender peers were, stressing that many that claim to defend the family, forget about gays, lesbians and mainly transgenders. We have families that many times have given in to the homophobic and fundamentalist speeches, abandoning their children due to these. After considering the similitude of goals and objectives in common between CHOPA as the oldest LGBT organization in the country and SOMOSGAY as the youngest, announced the conformation of the Paraguayan LGBT Federation, from which they launch common agenda in the defense of human rights to LGBT citizens. This is why SOMOSGAY as founder to the Paraguayan LGBT Federation and ILGA, expresses the preoccupation on the declarations brought in the act denominated &ldquo;Queremos Mam&aacute; y Pap&aacute;&rdquo; (We want mom and dad), by their representatives that in other areas claimed that "Many other international organizations such as the United Nations, PAHO, WHO and World Bank are behind the ATTACK to families and promote and encourage the complaint of homosexuals to DESTROY the society and also our children." We consider serious and worrying that these declarations had the support of parliamentarians, such as Senator Ana Maria de Acha who was for a long time president to the Human Rights Commission of the Senate. We deeply regret that after spending this time as president to the commission she has not understood the true value and read of the Universal Letter of Human Rights, base to our Constitution. We regret and consider even more alarming that statements that are as hurtful as these and accusations that are even more serious like "the Ministry of Education wants to corrupt the soft innocence of the children" have been supported by the Vice-President of the Republic, elected, Federico Franco, in time to give declarations that base their rejection to equality for LGBT citizens distorting the National Constitution and betraying his training as physician, his conviction as liberal and appointment as Vice-President to ALL paraguayans, without distinction of sexual orientation, demonstrating a total incoherence. Our organization considers this to be a clear threat to the public power that are invested in them, on the validity of Human Rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizenry of Paraguay. The success of the Festival for Equality and Freedom marks a milestone in the paraguayan history, and we thank the citizenry that showed with their support that the equality and freedom in our country are conquests that we all celebrate. Paraguay moves towards full equality and freedom. SOMOSGAY seeks to contribute to this advance along with the democratic and participative citizenry that shapes it. To see more pictures of the Festival, the blog of Zenoura has a gallery, that did a really good cover of the event. We thank Javier Valdez, Tomas Carrer and Gabriel Jaeggi for the pictures of the Festival.

Noticias

Councillors from Frente Guasu present municipal proposals for the LGBT citizenry in Asuncion

28 oct 2010

SOMOSGAY organizes the campaign "Lights for rights" in the week of fight against HIV in Paraguay

25 oct 2010

In November the First LGBT National Congress Paraguay 2010 takes place

18 oct 2010

In November the First LGBT National Congress Paraguay 2010 takes place

18 oct 2010

Festival for Equality and Freedom made history in Paraguay

04 oct 2010