This year’s celebration of the International Family Equality Day (IFED) was another great success. The new annual report contains extensive information about this ever-growing worldwide movement for equality and justice for LGBTIQ*.
A day to honor the beauty of all families, the 7th International Family Equality Day was held last may in a record-breaking 48 countries and 111 cities. The motto was “Children’s Rights Matter” and drew attention to the dire fact that in most parts of the world, children with LGBTIQ* parents do not enjoy the same rights as children in traditional families. “This is a situation that needs to be changed”, explains IFED-Board Member Matcha Phorn-in, “and the IFED is our way of striving for that change. It hence makes us enormously happy to see that the IFED-Family keeps growing and growing.” In 2018, new countries such as Chile, Costa Rica and Taiwan joined in and more than 600 volunteers got involved in the organization of the colorful IFED-events across the globe.
Rich source of information
In order to give insight into this year’s IFED-celebrations and to inform about the numerous challenges that LGBTIQ*-families are faced with in many places of the world, the IFED-Board released its brand-new annual report. The document contains – to name just a few of the many highlights – special country reports from Cambodia and Costa Rica, a useful overview of research on same-sex-parent families, best practices from various international LGBTIQ* organizations as well as a look back on the 2nd Asia Pacific Rainbow Family Forum, which took place in Hong Kong in the month of May and drew representatives from 26 countries.
Statements by UN and Council of Europe functionaries
These activities and the IFED as such are a “remarkable example of how individual actions come together to create a strong, vigorous message”, says Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, in the foreword of the annual report: the message that “diversity is to be respected and cherished”. And for Dunja Mijatovic – the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights – it is clear that “diversity of our societies, which are made of very many types of individuals and families, is a value in itself”, as she stresses in her statement for the report.
IFED 2019: Strength in unity!
The IFED-Community’s promotion of diversity and its fight for respect and equality will continue. With the motto of next year’s IFED being “Families – United We Stand”, everyone is invited to join in for the 2019 edition of this special day. “It will be an opportunity for all kinds of families to stand up, stand tall and send out the simple and powerful message of unity”, says IFED Co-President Maivon Wahid. And to all those who cannot openly celebrate IFED and have to remain hidden to protect themselves and their families, Ging Cristobal sends out an encouraging thought that beautifully embodies the idea of empowerment behind the awareness day: “IFED is there for you!”
Further media contacts:
Gin Cristobal (IFED Board Member, Philippines): +63 917 557 04 05
Matcha Phorn-in (IFED Board Member, Thailand): +66 882 60 72 03
Maivon Wahid (IFED Co-President, Fiji): +67 990 08 658
