Companions on a Journey (CoJ) is a Sri Lankan

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

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 Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

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 Lesbian and Gay Association The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) is an organization who is committed to advancing human rights to all people, disregarding gender identity, sex characteristics and expression. ILGA participates in a ...

Asia regional conference in Mumbai in 2002, Companions on a Journey held a press conference in Sri Lanka at which de Rose stated the organisation's aims were to achieve LGBT equality and to change the belief that homosexuality was a disease which could be cured.

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 ...

, who ran the Women's Support Group, said she agreed with de Rose about the overall aims and that her group also worked on its own causes, mentioning a recent case in which a lesbian woman had been threatened with rape because of her sexuality. The Women's Support Group was set up in 1999 and held a lesbian convention in Colombo in December 1999. After the

2004 tsunami An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...

struck, CoJ calculated that 34 of its members had been killed. The group used its drop-in centre to distribute aid and helped its members financially. Interviewed by the BBC in 2005, de Rose said "We aren't expecting miracles, but I think we're getting there, bit by bit". At that time, as well as its legal activism, CoJ was organising a monthly newsletter and full moon parties. It had a drop-in centre in Colombo and had opened other ones in

Kandy Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ...

and

Anuradhapura Anuradhapura ( si, අනුරාධපුරය, translit=Anurādhapuraya; ta, அனுராதபுரம், translit=Aṉurātapuram) is a major city located in north central plain of Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central ...

. In 2008, Companions on a Journey and the Women’s Support Group put on the first Solidarity Games in Colombo, which were attended by over 300 people.

Rivira Rivira is a weekly Sinhala newspaper in Sri Lanka. It is published on every Sunday, by Rivira Media Corporation (Pvt) Ltd. It is a sister newspaper of ''The Nation ''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers politica ...

(a Sinhala weekly newspaper) published a stories in 2011 which accused CoJ of spreading homosexuality and outed several people. One man lost his home after his name was publicised and CoJ was forced to stop operations temporarily. As of 2014, Companions on a Journey had over 1,400 members and branches across Sri Lanka.

Award

Companions on a Journey and the Women’s Support Group won the Felipa de Souza Award in 2001.

References

{{Authority control 1995 establishments in Sri Lanka LGBT political advocacy groups in Sri Lanka Felipa de Souza Award LGBT rights in Sri Lanka

History

Award

See also

References