Recommendations for putting an end to the invisibility of the French-speaking LGBTQI communities

For the launch of the report on the first international conference of Égides (International Francophone Alliance for Equality and Diversities), a range of tangible solutions are outlined with a view to taking action aimed at strengthening the French-speaking civil societies in order to foster equal rights.

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On 29 June 2021, before the international conference of Égides, the City of Geneva organised a pre-conference of inclusive cities with the aim of addressing more specifically the interest, responsibility and means for cities and other local authorities to implement inclusive policies, of actively combating all forms of discrimination and of promoting respect for the rights of people in the LGBTQI+ communities. A video recording and a thematic report offer the possibility of looking back at the experiences and best practices presented during this event.

The report combines the findings of the international conference of Égides and those of the pre-conference of inclusive cities organised by the City of Geneva, both held between 29 June and 2 July 2021. With more than 40 speakers and 350 participants, the conference was an essential event in assessing the major challenges currently facing the LGBTQI communities in French-speaking areas

During the pre-conference of inclusive cities, the City of Geneva aimed to promote the exchange of experiences and the networking of French-speaking cities, while offering them the opportunity to encourage and support one another in performing this essential mission, which is often misunderstood. Presented together with the report from the Égides conference, the report on this pre-conference also highlights the importance of involving the LGBTQI+ communities in defining and implementing the public policies concerning them. As stressed by Alfonso Gomez, Executive Councillor of the City of Geneva responsible for Equality and Diversity, “Working with the associations and collectives which have developed expertise, developing participatory projects and working with the communities to build a vision is the best way of remaining close to the realities in the field and of responding to the specific needs of the different groups comprising the LGBTQI+ populations.” 

It has been shown that public areas and public services are not equally accessible to all. Collaborations and partnerships are necessary to build these public policies designed to include all sexual and gender diversities. Working with local, national and international organisations helps to define and implement such policies so that they are both effective and coherent. As the associations nevertheless often find themselves in a precarious situation and primarily rely on volunteers, it is important to offer them the means of actively participating in the implementation of these public policies. 

The importance of involving the communities concerned

Through this report, Égides and the City of Geneva wish to make their funders aware of the importance of involving the communities concerned and of taking their specific needs into account. According to Laurent Breault, who is also Joint President of Égides, “The lessons drawn from the conference and presented in this report will be consolidated and capitalised on in order to fuel our thinking and that of our members this year with regard to designing appropriate mobilisation, advocacy and action strategies. They will also enable us to share the stories of French-speaking LGBTQI individuals with the international advocacy mechanisms, experiences which reveal a critical thinking of our inter-cultural relationships, our common understanding of one another and solutions to correct inequalities.” 

Publication of this report was made possible by support from:

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Article modifié le 02.03.2022 à 16:31