Fran�ais
English
Espa�ol

PRESENTATION OF THE CGLQ

For those which are not familiar with the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Quebec, it gives us a great pleasure to provide a presentation of our organization. With premium access, the Coalition is a Quebec national organization for defence of rights, built-in under part III of the Law on the companies of Quebec (OBNL).

Founded in 1992, our organization has the mandate to defend, promote and represent the rights of the gay and lesbian community and population of Quebec. However, any person, without regard to the sexual orientation, can become member of the CGLQ, individually or collectively.

To defend�

One of the principal objectives of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Quebec was to make pass the word �equality� from the Utopia to reality. In this direction, a great stage was reached during last year and the CGLQ played a major part in the whole of these following achievements:

• Work preparatory with Law 32;
• Collaboration with the various governmental speakers in the file of recognition of same sex partner (Ministry for social solidarity and the Control of the revenues of Quebec);
• Presence with hearings of the Canadian Senate Law C-23;
• Intervention in the file of the civil wedding between same sex partner (Canada and the United States);
• Interventions in several files concerning discrimination and intimidation;
• Participation on the national Forum on Immigration and the Citizenship on the initiative of Ministry for the Relations with the citizens and of immigration. (presentation of workshops of reflexion, and production of a report by the executive council of the CGLQ)
• Etc

To promote�

Although the files treating of homosexuality made the front page systematically during last years and even if laws were adopted, that is not enough therefore!

The system being what it is, several faults remain and we have to promote a complete equity and this also on a plan retroactive (let us think of the Mode of the revenues of Quebec concerning revenue of the spouse surviving as example). It also consists to carry out an information campaign within the gay population in order to inform them of the differences that there is between the different unions. In this direction, the Coalition gave several conferences, meetings of information near public very varied touched closely or by far by the cause.

We consider quite as important to support and encourage general gay culture within the entire population that representation of homosexuality through the diffusers. Those are proved to be powerful allies when comes time to make the fight with the prejudices. Let us not forget that the homophobia results from ignorance.

To promote is also to support the actions of our partners, to justify and equip associations, regroupings, organizations in a process of fight against discrimination and catch of concrete means to reach that point.

To represent...

To be sure of the good realization of its mandate, the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Quebec works in close cooperation with various regroupings emerging of the gay community on the whole of Quebec territory. The dialogue then makes it possible to take position on various files and going forward. Obviously the whole of our mission rests on the representation of the interests the gay ones and lesbians of Quebec.

The Coalition often sees itself soliciting by the various media (regional, national and international) relating to various subjects connected to homosexuality. Our competence on the matter supports regularly interviews in-depth, and the projection of Quebec and from Canada as regards human rights draw the attention well beyond our borders.

The Avant-garde in question here, propelled us on international scene since several years. The Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Quebec took part in several international conferences, was recognized on several occasions as a chief regarding LGBT rights.

To very recently the CGLQ and it former director general was the Co-representative of North America and the CGLQ member of board of directors of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA). We could by it skew, to make profit from other countries in search of equality by our experiments. It is imperative to mention that this international exchange not only allows contributing to obtaining basic rights for the participating countries but is also used for to equip our organization adequately so that we can constantly offer services which correspond to various waiting of the applicants from here.

Here some international events to which the Coalition has taken part during those last years.

• Participation summer 1999, at an international conference at the University King's College of London, gathering lawyers of the Member States of The Commonwealth, of the judges of supreme court of Australia, of South Africa, of Canada, of the United Kingdom, of the court international of the United Nations, Norway and the Netherlands. Drank: To present the Quebec model as regards human rights and recognition of the laws of minorities (Law 32);
• In collaboration with Tourism Montreal, the Coalition meets American Northern gay press in order to inform them on the � gay friendly� statute of the metropolis and to inform them of Law 32
• Participation with the various world conferences of the ILGA in South Africa, The United States, Italy, Switzerland, etc;
• Assistance in Ecuador, Uganda, Fiji, the state of Vermont amongst other things in their search towards the equality
• Participation with the Forum of the millennium of the United Nations in May 2000 (Inclusion discrimination based on the sexual orientation in declaration of the NGO participating in the forum). This declaration has been presented at the Heads of State and government gathered to New York for the top of the millennium.
• Creation of the ILGA�s French-speaking space in collaboration with others French-speaking and Francophile gay groups at the time of the world conference of the ILGA in Rome
• Participation with the conference �Creating Changes� in Atlanta 2000 and conference of International Network off Gay and Lesbian Officials with Phoenix (Arizona);
• Handing-over with Mrs Claudine Ouellet (general ex-director of the CGLQ) of Tupilak gold�s price (price given annually in Sweden) for her very active participation at New York before and during the forum millennium of NGO in the development of a declaration commune of all the participants on the political rights, social and cultural of the homosexual ones;
• Intervention in various American conferences gathering of the hundreds gay activists. (National Task force);
• Presentation of formation�s workshop within the framework of OutGames held in Montreal in 2006;
• Our former director general, Mr. Lapointe, made party of the international scientific Committee at the time of the conference on the rights LGBT, within the framework of Out Ranges;
• Obtaining of the 24 E world Conference of the ILGA in the Town of Quebec for 2008 (celebrating by the fact even the 400 E birthday of the town of Quebec);
• Work with obtaining the statute of ONG with the ECOSOC (economic sector and social of the United Nations); OBTAINED
• Etc

Formations

We all know that the homophobia results from ignorance. This is why we worked out various specialized workshops of formations with targeted groups in order to demystify homosexuality and to put in value the stakes with the ones gay and lesbians live daily in our society. In this optics, it is easier for members of the assistance to see reality under another angle. The environment lets questions which would probably not have posed within another framework.

We offer formation to all the groups which make some ask. Up to now we have acquired a notable experiment with different secondary school, high school, university, trade association and Community service.

Forces Police

Years 2005 and 2006 were remembered by the major formation realized near all the members of the police forces of Quebec City. A total of some 800 people profited from this formation by small groups of 8 to 10 persons. The success of those meetings was so considerable that our former director general saw himself inviting to the annual congress of the police forces in order to present the model of formation at the service of the other municipalities Quebec. Good number of them expressed a great interest.

International

The CGLQ had been seen entrusted the mandate to organize XXIVth World conference of the ILGA in Quebec City. We wanted by the mediation of this assembly to concert the various LGBT organizations, associations and regroupings from USA and Canada to create a North American federation of the ILGA.

Inopportunely, a decision of the general Co-secretaries ILGA world was dissociated from the CGLQ and the organizing committee from Quebec ILGA 2008 on March 10, 2008. Following this decision, the conference was seen deferred in Vienna in Austria in November 2008.

Conclusion

This document was designed to give an idea of what is the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Quebec. It is thus impossible to make the complete nomenclature here of achievements initiated by our organization. It will be a pleasure to provide you full information. We wish that the search of equality is also parts of your interests and that a future collaboration is possible with us.