PRESS RELEASE : IDAHOT 2019 JUSTICE AND EQUALITY FOR ALL

PRESS RELEASE: 2019 IDAHOT

To: All Media Houses

RAINBOW IDENTITY ASSOCIATION: DEFENDERS FOR FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND EQUALITY COMMEMORATES IDAHOT 2019 KWA GAMAILA KO KANYE

Every year the global community of sexual and gender minorities identifies one specific focus issue for the celebrations around May 17^th which is IDAHOT (International Day Against Homophobia Transphobia and Biphobia). This year, the proposal is to focus attention on JUSTICE AND PROTECTION FOR ALL. Indeed, everyone is entitled to justice and protection regardless of their gender identity, expression, sex and sexuality. We all need to keep advocating for the protection and justice for the LGBTIQ, especially when we need to ensure safety, fight violence, lobby for legal change, and/or campaign to change hearts and minds. Putting the focus of the Day on Justice and protection for all can create a valuable opportunity for all of us to reach out to the our communities, legal and justice system and relevant authorities like the police on emphasis of the protection of these key populations and vulnerable groups, and to engage in collective action around the Day.

Rainbow Identity Association (RIA) commemorates this day every year, however this year RIA will be commemorating it on the 18^th of May in Kanye and would like the community and entire country to commemorate this day with them. RIA is a non-profit making organization based in Gaborone Botswana. It is an association of intersex and transgender people (Trans-women,Trans-men, queer gender, gender questioning, transsexuals and non- conforming gender). The organisation aims at exploring ways of challenging trans-phobic laws and trans-phobia in Botswana.

RIA prides itself in advocating for the voices of Trans and intersex people to be heard through sport and gender, community outreach, all forms of media and more. RIA has been operating for almost 10 years and has done great work and still is and would like the support of the entire country in celebrating diversity and the lives both lost and ongoing LGBTIQ community. Before we have gender identity, expression and sex we are human being and it is up to us human being to live in harmony by finding peaceful ways to co-exist and one of those ways is ensuring justice and protection for all. RIA can only do so much and needs the support and solidarity of the nation to successfully execute this because “setshwarwa ke ntsa pedi gase thata “ ebile “moroto o esi ga o ele”

This focus should also be a welcome reminder of the need for protection within the communities of sexual and gender minorities, as the rights of one specific group cannot be secured if the rights of other groups are left unchallenged. The focus on protection and justice should also highlight the necessity for sexual and gender minorities to push for the protection of other vulnerable groups (e.g. migrants, people living in poverty, vulnerable children, etc.).

The commemoration will take place in Kanye spear headed by Bobela Stas; a Kanye youth LGBTIQ led movement that was formed 2 years ago. There will be a march from Mahube mall to BG mall and then after the march they will be a key note speaker who is a member of Kanye council and then solidarity massages from other organisations, on discrimination and stigma and map the inter-sectionality with stakeholders to ensure ending violence and inequality against different diverse communities and lobby for legal reform as a collective.