Building Bridges 3 Conference
Bulgarian Association for Gay Sport - BAGS took part at Building Bridges III Conference on 6th of March 2009 in The Hague, Netherlands. Here is the report from the Conference:
(Plenary morning sessions)
1.
The European level - Ms Kathelijne Buitenweg, Member of the European Parliament and Chair, Netherlands:
“This conference is in fact not about sport, but about equality, about law making. Laws are important, but they don’t create reality. Since 2000 all forms of discrimination are forbidden in the labour market and in the workplace. Also discrimination on the basis of race is forbidden in and beyond the labour market.
However, sexual orientation is excluded from this article. Beyond the labour market there is no declaration against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The EP thought this unfair and wanted to correct this. It has been a long fight in the EP to correct this omission and it is still unclear whether the battle will be won when the European Parliament votes on this article. I hope we get 60% of the EP on board, but not everyone is in favour of the protection of rights on the basis of sexual orientation. Homophobia still is a problem. But this problem is hard to prove because most people remain silent about their sexual orientation and about the discrimination they experience as a result. Therefore most sport clubs conclude that the problem doesn’t exist. But gay athletes know different. A whole range of problems occur and in fact, all are about trust. In order to play you have to trust your team. And the thing is: as a gay or lesbian you can’t. Regarding discrimination against gays and lesbians, the nationally renowned Dutch football coach Louis van Gaal recently told gays and lesbians to ‘just bear with it.’ I find that shocking. If instead we were to talk about anti-Semitism, would he come to the same conclusion, that Jews should‘just bear with it’? Furthermore, it is important we deal with homophobia in sports not just on a national level, but on the European level as well. ”
[Read more here...]
(Plenary morning sessions)
1.
The European level - Ms Kathelijne Buitenweg, Member of the European Parliament and Chair, Netherlands:
“This conference is in fact not about sport, but about equality, about law making. Laws are important, but they don’t create reality. Since 2000 all forms of discrimination are forbidden in the labour market and in the workplace. Also discrimination on the basis of race is forbidden in and beyond the labour market.
However, sexual orientation is excluded from this article. Beyond the labour market there is no declaration against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The EP thought this unfair and wanted to correct this. It has been a long fight in the EP to correct this omission and it is still unclear whether the battle will be won when the European Parliament votes on this article. I hope we get 60% of the EP on board, but not everyone is in favour of the protection of rights on the basis of sexual orientation. Homophobia still is a problem. But this problem is hard to prove because most people remain silent about their sexual orientation and about the discrimination they experience as a result. Therefore most sport clubs conclude that the problem doesn’t exist. But gay athletes know different. A whole range of problems occur and in fact, all are about trust. In order to play you have to trust your team. And the thing is: as a gay or lesbian you can’t. Regarding discrimination against gays and lesbians, the nationally renowned Dutch football coach Louis van Gaal recently told gays and lesbians to ‘just bear with it.’ I find that shocking. If instead we were to talk about anti-Semitism, would he come to the same conclusion, that Jews should‘just bear with it’? Furthermore, it is important we deal with homophobia in sports not just on a national level, but on the European level as well. ”
[Read more here...]
19:11:39 -
No comments
.jpg)
.jpg)
We are preparing a joyful and exciting celebration, says President of Mr. Gay Europe, Morten Ruda.
For 6th consecutive time Tangra Sports group will take part in January (from 2nd to 11th at the winter SPA camp in the town of 
Euro MPs have called on the Bulgarian goverment to extend civil partnerships to gay and lesbian couples.
OMCHETO TV
The Police made A GREAT JOB, protecting fully - 100% , around 150 BRAVE Pride participants . Some of them wearing t-shirts with the slogan: “Beware of whom you hate, it might be someone you love.”
