Madrid, Spain – More than 35 LGBTQI elected and appointed officials from 20 countries and all six continents today agreed to launch an international experts group aimed at advancing equality for LGBTQI people worldwide. The effort will increase cooperation among LGBTQI officials across the globe, with officials experienced in moving forward equality legislation and policies sharing expertise and strategies with other LGBTQI officials working on similar issues. The experts group will soon launch a worldwide wide survey to identify LGBTQI officials willing to advise other officials, and those who seek support in advancing equality in their home countries.
“This experts group will facilitate the sharing of ideas and experiences so we can accelerate our efforts to secure global equality for LGBTQI people,” said Aisha C. Moodie-Mills, President & CEO of Victory Institute. “LGBTQI elected and appointed leaders are perfectly positioned to move forward inclusive policies and legislation, and this newly formed brain trust can help provide the tools and expertise necessary to make it happen.”
Participants at the LGBTQI Interparliamentary Plenary Session – organized by the Madrid Summit and Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute as part of World Pride Madrid 2017 – included Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, Venezuela’s Assemblywoman Tamara Adrian, and Canadian Member of Parliament Randy Boissonnault. The experts group also agreed to contribute toward achieving the equality-focused strategies laid out in the Madrid Summit Declaration, released after the three-day Madrid Summit human rights conference yesterday.
“The fact that there were enough LGBTQI politicians from every continent to fill a room today was a testament to the hard work of many in the past and today represents a huge step forward for the global fight for equality. Using their positions of influence and combined wealth of experience the potential to better the lives of LGBTQI people across the planet is enormous,” said Ben Owen, the Session Coordinator.
“The landmark agreement to form an expert group of LGBTQI representatives will be a hugely effective tool in achieving the goals set out in the Madrid Summit Declaration,” said José Santoro, Madrid Summit.
The experts group will begin its work immediately, in coordination with Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute and Madrid Summit.
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Madrid Summit
The Madrid Summit is the three-day International Human Rights Conference of the World Pride Madrid 2017 that will take place between 26 – 28 July at the Autonomous University of Madrid.
Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute works to increase the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in public office and to provide programming, service, and other support to ensure their success.
