20/10/2016 | Writer: Kaos GL
In the fifth Symposium against Discrimination, which is to be held in dedication to the International Human Rights Week by Kaos GL Association, social services will be this year’s theme.
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In the fifth Symposium against Discrimination, which is to be held in dedication to the International Human Rights Week by Kaos GL Association, social services will be this year’s theme.
Symposium against Discrimination that has been organized around the themes of rights-based struggle and social rights of LGBTIs since 2012, aims to discuss ‘social services’ this year. The symposium which takes place during the International Human Rights Week each year will be held on December for the fifth time in Ankara.
Call for symposium, which will be an outcome of the social service activities organized by Kaos GL since one year in the scope of Local Meetings against Homophobia, was announced:
No cooperation out of the violations and discriminations of the State
“In such a world which heterosexual relations and “male – female” gender dichotomy are admitted as hegemonic and obligatory, LGBTI people are exposed to systematic discriminations because of their gender identities and sexual orientations, and their basic human rights, right to live in particular, are violated as a result of hate crimes. LGBTI people facing with many serious problems on education, housing and employment issues need to complete their personal and identity developments in such negative conditions that there are not enough positive role models, but a huge homophobic environment. Therefore, such conditions cause many problems for LGBTIs such as coming out which is the main process of the personal development. Social services developing information and service models on the basis of social justice and human rights have to develop such models for LGBTI people as well. There is also a huge need of accelerating the process that is to prevent or even end the inequalities based on sexual orientations and gender identities by developing such social service approach intervening directly in the problems of LGBTIs.
“In the framework of such a basic need, this practical instruction would be beneficial for the social services specialists working with LGBTIs in various institutions and organizations. Except general problems which each individual and couple might face with such as financial problems, communication problems among couples etc., LGBTI individuals may be exposed to extra problems based on their gender identities. For example, LGBTI individuals may have also some special needs such as services of legal consultancy for LGBTI families, tutelage issue, consultancy in or after the process of coming out. Additionally, LGBTI people may be exposed to refusal, misunderstanding, oppression and censure; as a result, this may cause a discrimination that prevents them to access the housing, employment, health care and other social services. Therefore, those problems may make them a direct applicants for social services.
“LGBTI individuals are exposed to many serious problems in all aspects of their lives. There is unfortunately no cooperation within the human rights fields out of the violations and discriminations the state is the main offender. Therefore, these conditions may cause both differentiations within the human rights movement, and prevention of the integration and cooperation with the struggle against discriminations.
Homophobic discrimination as a hatred ideology!
“Considering the obvious relation between violence and homophobic/ transphobic discrimination, and the range of discriminatory violence against LGBTI individuals in our country, homophobia taken as a special type of violence have to be taken into account and to be understood in relation to hate crimes. Therefore, it necessitates opening the “hatred” ideology into discussion again and again parallel with discrimination issue.
“We are exposed to both violation of rights and discriminations, and the prevention of our freedom of speech, expression and organization. We perceive the prevention as discrimination itself and as human rights defenders our existence is mostly perceived as a threat.
A joint struggle is a way to freedom
“As Kaos GL, since 1994 we have drawn attention to the fact that discriminations and ideologies feed on one another and we have empasized that a joint struggle is a way to freedom with our motto ‘liberation of homosexuals will also free heterosexuals.’
“In dedication with 10th of December International Human Rights Day, we organizes ‘Syposium against Discrimination’. In this year, the major theme of the symposium is to be determined as ‘Social Services’.
“In the symposium, conservative politics causing discrimination and inequality will be discussed. “How the social policies can be developed in favor of LGBTI people? How can social services workers work with LGBTI applicant?” questions will be focused, and best international examples will be shared.”
What is the Symposium against Discrimination?
Symposium against Discrimination, first of which was held in 2012, has been organized around the themes of rights-based struggle and social rights of LGBTIs by Kaos GL.
With their motto ’Liberation of homosexuals will also free heterosexuals’, since 1994 Kaos GL have emphasized that any that any type of discriminations evolves from each other; and they have emphasized the importance of struggle together.
Kaos GL organizing the symposium in dedication to 10th of December - International Human Rights Day will opens “discrimination against LGBTI individuals on the fields of education, employment, health, housing and social services” to discussion this year.
If you may want to get in touch about the symposium, you can send an email to egitim@kaosgl.org
Tags: human rights
