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Women's Support Group
The Women's Support Group (WSG) is a Sri Lankan organisation dedicated to helping lesbian, bisexual and transgender women. It was set up in 1999 by amongst others Rosanna Flamer-Caldera. It has won the Felipa de Souza Award twice. History The Women's Support Group (WSG) was set up in 1999 as an offshoot from Companions on a Journey. The founders had joined CoJ and set up a support group for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women, which then took on its own identity over time. The group organised a national convention for lesbians in 1999 which encountered hostility and the group also experienced discrimination from the rest of the women's movement; at the first International Women’s Day meeting at Viharamahadevi Park, some women were upset that the WSG was there and Sunila Abeysekera had to intercede on their behalf. In 2003, around 20 women were involved. The activities of the WSG in the early 2000s included workshops in rural areas about sexuality, women’s cricket tournam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexuality or same-sex attraction. The concept of "lesbian" to differentiate women with a shared sexual orientation evolved in the 20th century. Throughout history, women have not had the same freedom or independence as men to pursue homosexual relationships, but neither have they met the same harsh punishment as homosexual men in some societies. Instead, lesbian relationships have often been regarded as harmless, unless a participant attempts to assert privileges traditionally enjoyed by men. As a result, little in history was documented to give an accurate description of how female homosexuality was expressed. When early sexologists in the late 19th century began to categorize and describe homosexual behavior, hampere ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, which is also known as '' pansexuality.'' The term ''bisexuality'' is mainly used in the context of human attraction to denote romantic or sexual feelings toward both men and women, and the concept is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation along with heterosexuality and homosexuality, all of which exist on the heterosexual–homosexual continuum. A bisexual identity does not necessarily equate to equal sexual attraction to both sexes; commonly, people who have a distinct but not exclusive sexual preference for one sex over the other also identify themselves as bisexual. Scientists do not know the exact cause of sexual orientation, but they theorize that it is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, and env ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Transgender
A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through transitioning, often adopting a different name and set of pronouns in the process. Additionally, they may undergo sex reassignment therapies such as hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery to more closely align their primary and secondary sex characteristics with their gender identity. Not all transgender people desire these treatments, however, and others may be unable to access them for financial or medical reasons. Those who do desire to medically transition to another sex may identify as transsexual. ''Transgender'' is an umbrella term. In addition to trans men and trans women, it may also include people who are non-binary or genderqueer. Other definitions of ''transgender'' also include people who belong to a third gender, or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rosanna Flamer-Caldera
Rosanna Flamer-Caldera (born March 18, 1956) is a Sri Lankan LGBT rights activist. She lived in the US for over a decade and when she returned to Sri Lanka, she became the female Asian representative to ILGA and later its co-secretary general. She helped to found the Women's Support Group in 1999 and Equal Ground in 2004. She is also related to former Ford model and Wildlife and nature protection society Sri Lanka ambassador, Dr. Adam Flamer-Caldera. Personal life and early activism Rosanna Flamer-Caldera was born in Sri Lanka on March 16, 1956, and is of partly Dutch descent. She grew up in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Flamer-Caldera describes in an interview with The Huffington Post that after coming out she moved from Sri Lanka to San Francisco at the age of 18 and that in 1978, she attended her first gay pride parade, which was led by Harvey Milk. When she returned to Sri Lanka, she used many of the tactics she had observed in San Francisco such as candlelight vigils and demonstra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Felipa De Souza Award
OutRight Action International (OutRight) is a LGBTIQ human rights non-governmental organization that addresses human rights violations and abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. OutRight Action International documents human rights discrimination and abuses based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics in partnership with activists, advocates, media, NGOs and allies on a local, regional, national and international level. OutRight Action International holds consultative status with ECOSOC. History OutRight Action International, formerly known as International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), was founded by Julie Dorf in 1990, and incorporated as a non-profit organization on November 7, 1990. Though initially focused on LGBT human rights abuses in Russia, the organization is now active in many parts of the world, including the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. OutRight Act ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Companions On A Journey
Companions on a Journey (CoJ) is a Sri Lankan LGBT support group founded in 1995. It campaigns to change the laws which criminalise homosexuality and to educate people about sexuality. The Women's Support Group grew out of CoJ, the two organisations sharing the Felipa de Souza Award in 2001. By 2014, CoJ had over 1,400 members and branches across the country. History Companions on a Journey (CoJ) was established in 1995 with Sherman de Rose as executive director. It was funded by the Dutch government and Alliance London, an English HIV/AIDS support group. CoJ immediately provoked controversy because it was the first Sri Lankan gay rights group; the offices were attacked and staff were assaulted. Homosexual acts are illegal in Sri Lanka and could receive a sentence of up to twelve years in prison. Whilst convictions are rare, it is common for people to be blackmailed or intimidated. CoJ has been campaigning since its foundation to change the law. Following the International Lesb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Viharamahadevi Park
Viharamahadevi Park ( si, විහාරමහාදේවී උද්යානය; formerly Victoria Park, si, වික්ටෝරියා පාක්) is a public park located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, situated in front of the colonial-era Town Hall in Sri Lanka. It was built by the British colonial administration and is the oldest and largest park of Colombo. The park was originally named "Victoria Park" after Queen Victoria but was renamed after Queen Viharamahadevi, the mother of King Dutugamunu on July 18, 1958. During World War II it was occupied by the British Army with Australian 17th Brigade based at Victoria Park. After the war the park was restored and open to the public in 1951. There used to be a cricket ground in the park, which was used for first-class cricket between 1927 and 1995. Ceylon played against a touring English team there in 1927 and against an Australian team in 1935. The park features include a huge Buddha statue which replaced the sta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sunila Abeysekera
Sunila Abeysekera (September 4 1952 – September 9, 2013) was a Sri Lankan human rights campaigner. She worked on women's rights in Sri Lanka and in the South Asia region for decades as an activist and scholar. Quitting a career as a singer, Abeysekera briefly joined the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and then founded the Women and Media Collective in 1984. As head of the INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre, she monitored human rights violations by all parties in the civil war. She received the United Nations Human Rights Award in 1999 and the Didi Nirmala Deshpande South Asian Peace and Justice Award in 2013. Early life Sunila was born on 4 September 1952, to Turin and Charles Abeysekera, a public servant and a leader of civil society in Sri Lanka. She first became involved in politics in the 1970s as a member of the Civil Rights Movement (CRM), which campaigned for political prisoners who had been involved in the 1971 Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) youth insurrection. She brief ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gay Japan News
GayJapanNews is a web-based news service in the Japanese language specializing in LGBT issues from around the world. The service was launched in 2005 to increase the visibility of gays and lesbians, whose presence is negligible in traditional media within Japan. The site is primarily in Japanese but with some English available. It was co-founded by Tom Paine and Hiroshi Mochizuki, who serves as editor. Staff members have been asked to comment on LGBT issues in Japan by news organizations such as the '' Asahi Shimbun'', NHK, and ''The Japan Times''. GayJapanNews has also held workshops and advocated for LGBT issues in Japan. See also * Homosexuality in Japan * LGBT rights in Japan * Mass media in Japan * Sexual minorities in Japan * Shinjuku ni-chōme, Tokyo * List of LGBT events The following is a calendar of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) events. This mainly comprises pride parades but also includes other kinds of events such as sporting events and fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rainbow Rights Project
A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows caused by sunlight always appear in the section of sky directly opposite the Sun. Rainbows can be full circles. However, the observer normally sees only an arc formed by illuminated droplets above the ground, and centered on a line from the Sun to the observer's eye. In a primary rainbow, the arc shows red on the outer part and violet on the inner side. This rainbow is caused by light being refracted when entering a droplet of water, then reflected inside on the back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it. In a double rainbow, a second arc is seen outside the primary arc, and has the order of its colours reversed, with red on the inner side of the arc. This is caused by the light being reflected twice on the inside of the d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Equal Ground
: Equal Ground is a non-profit organization based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, that advocates for political and social rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), intersex and queer people. The organization, established in 2004, claims to be the first organization in Sri Lanka that welcomes people of all sexual orientations and gender identities... The organization was founded by Sri Lankan gay rights activist Rosanna Flamer-Caldera and offers trilingual publications and services. It aims to achieve its goals through political activism, education, personal support, building awareness and through organized community events. It has been working more closely with lesbian, bisexual and transgender women in areas of human rights, law reform, sexual health, and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The organization continues to face many challenges working in Sri Lanka where homosexuality is stigmatized and considered criminal offense that can earn up to ten yea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
LGBT Rights In Sri Lanka
Article 365 of the Sri Lankan Penal Code, which dates from the time of colonial British Ceylon, criminalizes sexual acts deemed "against the order of nature". This has been ruled unenforceable by the Supreme Court, but the court does not have the power to remove laws outright. A private members' bill submitted to parliament in August 2022 has been given the support of the ruling government and is likely to be passed by parliament in 2023. Transgender people can legally change gender following medical approval and surgical intervention is not required. In 2016 the Government of Sri Lanka launched Gender Recognition Certificates and provided clear guidelines to medical workers on how to positively deal with the transgender community. There are no anti-discrimination laws, but the government has stated that discrimination based on sexuality and gender is implicitly banned under the existing constitution, and it has proposed to provide anti-discrimination laws as part of a wider c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
