|
 We
would all like to be recognised as the multifaceted human beings we
truly are. LGBT individuals are present and active in all areas of
life: sport, education, media, the workplace, family, religion,
culture, politics and lawmaking, law enforcement and judging, and so
on. In all these aspects of their daily lives, LGBT individuals face
discrimination. Many changes are needed to permit them to
participate equally in society.
Some would argue, with much evidence to support their claim, that
sport remains the last bastion of homophobia, one where stereotypes
continue to reign. Since the Conference will be held within the
context of the 1st World
Outgames, it is only natural that the world of sport should be a
central theme for discussions.
The commitment of numerous trade unions to the battle for LGBT
rights is not new: in Canada and particularly in Québec, the major
labour organisations have been actively involved in this issue for
many years now.
It is a simple fact that the presence of unions seems to favour the
development and affirmation of LGBT rights in the workplace,
compared with work environments in which there is no form of
institutional support. Therefore, thanks to the unwavering support
of the unions participating in the Montréal Conference, we will
identify the driving principles behind the establishment of these
rights, as well as develop realistic action plans to improve the
situations of LGBT individuals in the workplace.
The LGBT media has seen explosive growth over the last fifteen years
– with more than 4,000 current media listings – and certain
publications and other sources of information are slowly beginning
to shed light on the reality experienced by LGBT individuals.
National associations of LGBT journalists have been created and are
active on many different levels. Yet, once again, this phenomenon
seems to be limited to countries in which human rights in general
(and freedom of expression in particular) are respected, even if
negative attitudes are still expressed in the mainstream media from
time to time.
The last quarter century has seen the emergence of many different
non-traditional family models: single-parent families, reconstituted
families, community families, families with gay or lesbian parents,
and so on. Faced with resistance and reactions of fear and outrage
from many secular and religious institutions, individuals who choose
non-traditional family lifestyles have to struggle to live their
family lives as they think best. And, as is the case with all
significant social evolutions, individualism inevitably comes into
conflict with the laws, both written and unwritten, that touch the
fabric of daily life. The evolution of civil liberties in a great
number of countries has also resulted in the birth of numerous LGBT
groups committed to constitutional and legal changes to family law,
so that rights reflect realities. These changes include granting
equal rights to LGBT individuals who are or wish to be parents, and
granting equal rights to same-sex couples (including equal access to
civil marriage). They also include expanding the range of
relationship recognition options for all couples.
The active involvement
of LGBT groups in initiatives for social change is having a positive
influence on local, national and international cultures, enriching
and invigorating societies at large.
Finally, LGBT individuals have religious, spiritual and moral
beliefs. How can they not only freely exercise these beliefs but
share their vision and aspirations as well? How can they achieve
acceptance and equality within their religious communities?
Papers will be considered on
related themes and topics from a wide range of perspectives. 500
word abstracts should be submitted to the organising comitee in
English, Spanish, or French as e-mail attachment by 30 September
2005.
The official languages for the
conference will be French and English. However, the Enkidu panels
will also have Spanish papers with translation to English and/or
French provided.
As always in Enkidu Academic
Events, we encourage our participants to focus on topics and
questions that contribute to breaking silences and building bridges.
Interpretations of the conference themes ranging from the
predictable to the surprising are encouraged.
Abstract
Requirements:
500
word
abstracts should be submitted to the organizing committee in
English, Spanish, German or French as by 30 September
2005 along with the presenter’s name, address, telephone,
email, and institutional affiliation. All correspondence for this
conference will be conducted via email. The conference languages
will be English, French and Spanish.
Papers
should be of approximately 20 minutes duration (circa 8 - 10 pages).
A typical panel session with 3 or 4 speakers at "A Right to be
Different" is scheduled with 90 minutes.
Proposals
should also include a short bio of each participant (3-5 lines).
Graduate
and postgraduate students are encouraged to attend and present
papers. Selected papers from the conference will be published in
book form.
Abstract Form
Abstracts
are to be submitted by the 30th of September 2005.
We
will be notified by the International Scientific Committee
organising the conference by e-mail at 31 January 2006 whether a
panel session has been accepted or not.
Further
information will be published soon. |
[06.07.2005]: 
[10.06.2005]: 
