Date: Fri, 28 Jan 1994 21:02:41 -0500
From: Roy Radow
Subject: NAMBLA Replies to ILGA Secretariat (Revised)
Dear Tommy-tom,
Please replace the NAMBLA-ILGA statement which currently appears
in the QRD with this revised statement. Thanks.
NAMBLA has been a member of the International Lesbian and Gay
Association for 10 years. We've been continuously active in ILGA longer
than any other US organization. NAMBLA delegates to ILGA helped write
ILGA's constitution, its official positions on the sexual rights of
youth, and its stands against sexual coercion and corporal punishment.
We are proud of our contributions in making ILGA a stronger voice for the
international gay and lesbian movement and for sexual justice.
In spite of this proud history, four of ILGA's six secretariats,
meeting in New York, November 5-7, have request NAMBLA to resign and stated
that they will seek its expulsion by the general membership this summer
unless it complies. This small administrative body individuals issued press
releases on November 7 stating that ILGA "condemns pedophilia" and that
NAMBLA's "political aims... are in direct contradiction" to those of ILGA.
In particular, the statement cites NAMBLA's opposition to age-of-consent
laws as a tool for protecting young people from sexual coercion.
These statements by the secretariats' committee are a craven and
dishonest attempt to satisfy demands by the US Mission to the UN. On
October 16, the US Mission's Bisa Williams-Manigault sent a letter to
ILGA stating that the US will seek ILGA's removal from the UN's Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC) unless ILGA "dissociates itself from NAMBLA
and other affiliate organizations whose objectives," in the opinion of the
US government, "are not consonant with UN human rights activities." In
addition, Williams-Manigault has told the press that to meet US demands,
ILGA would have to expel at least two other organizations. The Dutch
Vereniging Martijn and a US group called Project Truth along with any
other member organization that has expressed support for NAMBLA's
positions.
The ILGA secretariats' statement contradicts the positions
ILGA has adopted over the course of a decade, and greatly distorts
NAMBLA's platform.
ILGA's current positions on man/boy love and pedophilia are
explicit:
-- In 1985, ILGA adopted a position on "Age of Consent/Paedophilia/
Children's Rights" that urged member organizations to "lobby their
governments to abolish the age of consent law" so long as there is
"adequate protection for youth from being sexually abused without
the age of consent law."
-- In 1986, ILGA adopted a position that says the group "supports
the right of young people to sexual and social self-determination."
-- In 1988, ILGA declared "this conference recognizes that existing
same-sex age-of-consent laws often operate to oppress and not to
protect; that in many countries, existing laws on sexual coercion
and rules of evidence also often operate to oppress and not to
protect; that therefore member organizations are urged to consider
how best children, adolescents, and people of all ages can be
empowered and supported against both sexual coercion and sexual
oppression and to work towards that end."
-- In 1990, ILGA "calls on all members to treat all sexual
minorities with respect and to engage in constructive dialogue
with them. In another position adopted that year, ILGA declared
that it "supports the right of every individual, regardless of
age, to explore and develop her or his sexuality."
ILGA has also taken strong stands against sexual coercion. NAMBLA
helped write these positions, and our delegates supported them in the General
Assembly, contrary to what the ILGA secretariats imply.
-- In 1990 ILGA adopted as an official position that "Major power
imbalances create the potential for child abuse. ILGA condemns the
exploitative use of power differences to coerce others into sexual
relationships."
Every one of the resolutions cited above was adopted by at least
an 80 percent majority of ILGA delegates; many were adopted unanimously.
Their status as official ILGA positions is a matter of public record. Not
one of these positions has ever been revoked by ILGA's membership, and all
have been distributed to the media as recently two months ago by ILGA's
Information Secretariat as official positions.
NAMBLA fully supports ILGA's efforts to achieve consultative status
on the UN's ECOSOC, though we did not play any role in attaining that status.
Any attempt to link NAMBLA or ILGA with child abuse is dishonest and
malicious. But in an effort to save ILGA's ECOSOC status, one small project
of ILGA, its secretariats have taken a dangerous step toward destroying what
ILGA is at essence: a diverse, democratic coalition controlled by its members,
not a small group of leaders.
The following are quotes from NAMBLA position papers adopted at the
indicated times by NAMBLA's membership. The reader can determine whether or
not an "extreme divergence" exists between the views of NAMBLA and ILGA.
"NAMBLA condemns those who exploit children and others for
profit and pornography... NAMBLA condemns pornography which furthers
racial and sexual stereotypes." [adopted November 11, 1981]
"NAMBLA supports economic and racial justice for youth, especially
for gay youth, who are often doubly oppressed. Wherever forms of
hustling thrive on racial or economic inequality-- especially in
third- world countries, where imperialism is involved-- NAMBLA
condemns the inequality and imperialism and calls on men and boys to
work actively against them." [adopted November 11, 1981]
"NAMBLA... calls for the adoption of laws that both protect
children from unwanted sexual experiences and at the same time leave
them free to determine the content of their own sexual experiences."
[adopted December 4, 1983]
"NAMBLA has always opposed any form of abuse or coercion... and
NAMBLA condemns rape and sexual assault." [adopted December 4, 1983]
"Exploitation, sexual or otherwise, is neither approved of nor
practiced by NAMBLA. NAMBLA recognizes that exploitation occurs in
the area of hustling, and the publication of erotica, and has called
on its members to help eliminate exploitation in these areas."
[adopted December 4, 1983]
"NAMBLA condemns corporal punishment, kidnapping, rape, and
sexual exploitation. Participation in corporal punishment, kidnapping,
rape, and sexual exploitation is contrary to NAMBLA'S statement of
purpose. It is grounds for expulsion from NAMBLA." [adopted December
4, 1983]
As the above positions detail, NAMBLA has no difficulty supporting
in its entirety the 1990 statement of ILGA on the protection of children.
We reaffirm our support of that ILGA statement now. NAMBLA believes that
the attitude of the 1990 ILGA conference is also shown by the resolution
calling on "all members to treat all sexual minorities with respect and to
engage in constructive dialog with them."
Already, several ILGA activists and member organizations have
condemned the secretariats' actions and reaffirmed their support for the
participation in ILGA of man/boy lovers. The national German gay coalition
Bundesverband Homosexualitat has declared that it is "astonished and
embarrassed" at the secretariats' actions. "We are convinced that any
attempt to expel NAMBLA and others from ILGA will be rejected by the
vast majority of ILGA members," writes BVH executive committee member
Wolfram Setz. Another German group, Verein for Sexuelle Gleichberechtigung
adds, "The fight for... fundamental human rights must not be relinquished
or reduced because of the political pressure from any government. Where
would we end up if we made concessions in this respect? NAMBLA's objectives
are as far we know absolutely in agreement with... the UN declarations of
human rights and children's rights."
The Secretariats, by their actions, are seeking to transform ILGA
from being a "parliament" of the international lesbian and gay movement--
a place where real discussion and compromise takes place among groups with
varied focuses and approaches-- and instead turn it into a public relations
showcase for a few leaders.
We value our participation in ILGA in part because of how we
ourselves have been challenged and have grown by talking and working
with lesbian and gay people with different experiences and perspectives
than our own. We have been gratified and encouraged at seeing others
change their feelings and perceptions about man/boy love through working
with us. Growth and understanding of this kind should continue.
****
In Liberation For All,
Roy
Roy Radow
http://www.qrd.org/qrd/orgs/NAMBLA/nambla.replies.to.ilga.secretariat-----------------------------------------------------
Historical facts. Until it was not politically correct to do so anymore.
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