The Third Pink Book

The Third Pink Book - Rob Tielman

All over the world, gay men and lesbians face discrimination in housing, employment, parental rights, and education. While many countries have granted greater civil rights to gay men and lesbians, including formal recognition of homosexual partnerships, in other nations they continue to be subject to harassment, violence, and even death. The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), founded in 1978, promotes and defends the interests of homosexuals world-wide to strengthen their global solidarity. "The Third Pink Book", compiled under the auspices of the ILGA and edited by internationally recognised researcher Rob Tielman and his colleagues Aart Hendriks and Every van der Veen, provides an unparalleled look at the public and private lives of gay men and lesbians in over fifteen countries.Essays describing the specific sociopolitical environment for gays and lesbians is combined with a country-by-country survey providing concise, up-to-date information on the legal and social situations of gay men and women internationally, and a review of gay movements. The way gay groups are organised, the priorities of their agendas, the importance of the HIV epidemic for their work, the co-operation between women and men, and their integration in the international movement all reflect the social, legal, and political climate toward homosexuality in the countries concerned, including the emerging nations of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc.Despite all the distinctions, including systems of oppression, stages of liberation, and the devastating effects of AIDS on the gay community, it is remarkable and encouraging to note that gay men and lesbians from all corners of our global village seem to share a number of fundamental policy objectives: recognition of homosexuality, respect for a diversity of sexual lifestyles, and guarantees of equal rights independent of gender, sexuality, or sexual orientation. The book details not only local and national developments but also offers a historical analysis of the international co-operation among gay and lesbian groups, and suggests future forms of co-operation. There is also extensive attention given to the personal records of gay and lesbian politicians, and the contributions they have made in the continuing struggle for liberation.