Campaign against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia 2022: “Our bodies, our prides”

Image

To illustrate the six posters used in the campaign and displayed in the streets of Geneva from 9 to 22 May, the City has called on a group of artists brought together by Fesses-tival. Events will also be organised during these two weeks in collaboration with numerous partners.

Since 2013, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia held on 17 May has provided the City of Geneva with the opportunity to make the local population more aware of the different forms of discrimination relating to sexual and emotional orientation and gender expression by means of a campaign combining a public posters and a programme of events and meetings.

This year, it wanted to enhance the visibility of the diversity of queer bodies in an explosion of positivity, celebration and assertiveness. This focus echoes the official theme of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia 2022 celebrated worldwide: “Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Rights”.

Bodies are political

Even now, bodies are objects of social control and the subject of numerous debates, in particular with regard to LGBTIQ+ people and anyone whose body, and the use they make of it, run counter to the norms of heterosexuality, binary gender and cisgender.

The objects of stereotypical representation or rendered entirely invisible, exposed to judgement, rejection and violence and, in some cases, subjected to non-consensual “corrective” surgical procedures, the bodies of LGBTIQ+ people constantly suffer injunctions aimed at disciplining, compelling or denying them so that they better correspond to the pigeon holes dictated by society. Alfonso Gomez, Executive Councillor responsible for Equality and Diversity, reiterates that “queer bodies in particular are targeted by violence. The fight against all forms of discrimination aimed at LGBTIQ+ is far from over. And the question of bodies and self-determination is at the very heart of this combat.”

Queer bodies in the city

To create the displays for the 2022 campaign entitled “Our bodies, our prides”, the City of Geneva has called on a group of concerned illustrators dedicated to the cause, brought together by Fesses-tival, a Geneva festival dedicated to sexualities and a partner of this edition.

The creations of Moony dea, Linda Kchr, Lari Medawar, Nygel Panasco, Naïma Pollet and Romane M. Serez reiterate the fact that there is a wide range of different queer bodies, all of which are beautiful in their diversity, and that their existence must in no event be called into question and should, on the contrary, be welcomed and celebrated as an asset. “Their colourful works express pride and joy. They reassert the fact that self-determination, consent and respect for the body of each individual are fundamental rights and the essential conditions for us to live together,” continues Alfonso Gomez. Like every year, the public poster campaign will be accompanied by a programme of meetings, discussions, exhibitions and workshops developed in collaboration with numerous associative and institutional partners.

These events include an exhibition drawing on the poster campaign work, with original visuals, which will be presented from 9 to 22 at the Uni Mail building in collaboration with Fesses-tival and the  Equality and Diversity Service of the University of Geneva. The vernissage will take place on 10 May with a round table exploring how queer bodies are represented through images and how to make them visible without caricaturing them.

Also not to me missed is the traditional ceremony in memory of Bartholomé Tecia and the victims of LGBTIQ+ phobias, which will launch the International Day on 17 May, as well as a discussion forum with the writer and philosopher, Alexandre Jollien, on the cross-questions of LGBTIQ+ and handicap.

More detailed information, the full programme and visuals are available for download at  www.17mai-geneve.ch