Young people from LGBTI and human rights groups in Pacific countries will gather in Sydney in October as part of a push to expand cooperation and fight for equality in law and culture throughout the Pacific.
The youth forum is the first of its kind organised by Kaleidoscope Australia, a not-for-profit organisation working to protect the human rights of LGBTI people in the Asia Pacific region.
Kaleidoscope Human Rights Foundation president, Paula Gerber, told Guardian Australia the forum would be attended by delegates under the age of 32 who are keen to make a difference for LGBTI rights in the region.
Not all will be senior activists or advocates, as the forum aims to boost their capacity.
Delegates will come from human rights and LGBTI groups such as the Pacific Diverse Sexuality Network and the Kapul Champions in Papua New Guinea.
Gerber said in some countries it is not safe and viable to have an LGBTI rights organisation and in PNG gay people can still face the threat of violence on a daily basis.
“Seventy-five countries in the world still criminalise homosexual conduct and eight of those are in the Pacific, that’s one of the priorities to address,” she said.
“Many [of these countries] haven’t prosecuted people for many years, but the existence of these laws has a chilling effect on LGBTI people’s ability to live open and free lives with equality and dignity.”
Recent successes include decriminalisation of homosexuality in Nauru and Palau, but other countries such as Samoa and PNG have said they have no intention of repealing the laws, she said.
Gerber said getting the basic legal protection of anti-discrimination law is another key priority.
“We’re very fortunate in Australia – you can’t discriminate based on sexual orientation or identity.
“Very few Pacific countries have those laws so, for example, you can refuse a gay or trans person a job, housing, access to healthcare based on their sexual orientation.”
Gerber said delegates would be taught skills including writing submissions and reports for United Nations human rights bodies, applying for grants to develop education tools, and community organising.
She said she hoped Australian delegates from the LGBTI community would build relationships in the region to broaden the focus of their advocacy from domestic issues such as marriage equality and Safe Schools.
“In some areas our neighbours are doing much better than us. For example, transgenderism is more acceptable in many Pacific countries,” she said.
Gerber cited constructive dialogue with Christian organisations as another strength of LGBTI groups in the Pacific region.
The forum is funded by the United States embassy in Australia, and will be hosted by law firm DLA Piper.
It will be attended by US LGBTI ambassador Randy Berry and Kaleidoscope patron and former high court judge, Michael Kirby.
US ambassador to Australia, John Berry, said: “We are delighted to support an initiative which presents such a fantastic opportunity for LGBTI youth leaders in this region to meet others who are fighting for equality and basic human rights.
“Defending and promoting the human rights of LGBTI persons is at the core of our commitment to advancing human rights globally – the heart and conscience of our diplomacy,” he said.
