Belgium IDAHO Report 2012

The regional LGBT organization of French-speaking Belgium has been leading since 2009 a national anti homophobia campaign on IDAHO. This year, 50 000 pin badges and brochures were distributed to all 500 secondary schools of the region, and to all youth centers, but also to local councils, cultural centers, medical facilites, etc… by various ministries, partner organisations and the Arc-en-Ciel’s volunteers.
This year, material was distributed also in France and as far as New Caledonia (French Pacific) and distributions will stretch all over the summer, during the region’s many music festivals.
In resonance with this year’s global IDAHO focus on education, the brochure includes a chapter on fighting homophobia within the region’s schools.
In the Flemish part, activists from organisation Leonardo organised a discussion on LGBT rights around the topic: “The strongest action a country can make to fight against homophobia is enacting a series of laws that promote equality and full integration for the LGBT community in the social and political life of the country.” It focused on LGBT rights in Belgium and Europe, how laws are applied in everyday life, and future horizons for the LGBT movement.