With utmost pleasure, we hereby invite all members and friends in LGBTI community to the sixth ILGA-Asia regional conference, which is scheduled on October 28 to 30 in Taipei. Based on the fact that LGBTI are remain criminalized in certain Asian countries and that sexuality, orientation, identity and body cannot be self-determined, fully recognized and freely expressed, a theme has been selected for 2015 ILGA-Asia conference: “Independent Souls and Bodies”.
Asia, the biggest continent in the world, full of diversity, where LGBTI individuals are still struggling for their lives and rights. LGBTI activists are struggling against injustice arrests, kidnaps and punishments done by the governments as well as legal and social discrimination. Transgenders are still medicalized as disorders and they are forced to let others to decide the bodies they dream for. Souls and bodies of LGBTI individuals are struggling whereas souls and bodies need to be free in our own hands, also in our own wills.
The ILGA-Asia Board believes now is the moment for everyone’s body and soul to be independent from the past as well as the present predicaments. It is time for us to learn from experiences and form strategies in order to create an effective and sustainable movement that leads to change and an Asia with Equality.
The theme of this year has been developed by the ILGA-Asia Board along with the local host Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association in global and local perspective. A broad variety of workshops will be offered to cover topics such as political strategy, messaging and awareness raising, comparative legal analysis and other specific strategy formulation in regard to the independence of souls and bodies.