Belgium IDAHO Report 2013

Tens of thousands of secondary school children were given pin-on badges and over 100 schools received special educational kits on fighting homophobia. More than 70 municipalities raised the rainbow flag to show their support for International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia. In a unique contribution to the Global Rainbow Flashmob, LGBT activists  targeted nine train stations with rainbow stickers. The Belgian Foreign Minister, Didier Reynders, issued a strong statement of support. Activists also locked themselves in a cage for 48 hours to raise awareness for IDAHO!

Wallonia province educational initiative

In the francophone province of Wallonia, the LGBT federation ‘Arc en Ciel Wallonie’ has once again marked the Day with a special educational initiative in partnership with the ministry of education.
This year, the province’s 30,000 secondary school children were handed out a pin-on badge, while the schools in the 118 communes received a comprehensive educational kit on fighting homophobia
More information on the activities, and access to the pedagogical material can be found here
In the meantime, the regional authorities announced on the Day their first comprehensive action plan against violence and discrimination.

Over 100 municipalities fly the rainbow flag

In the Flemish region too, IDAHO was marked by a strong involvement of the authorities, with well over a third of the region’s 308 municipalities marking the Day by raising the rainbow flag.

Activists visit various train stations with rainbow stickers !

And as part of the Global Rainbow Flashmob, an alliance of LGBT organisations led by Cavaria and roze huizen, attended 9 train stations and handed out Rainbow stickers to passengers and asked them to show their solidarity with the LGBT community by putting the sticker on their clothes or visible place.”

LGBT young people gather at the train station in Hasselt, Belgium

For more info (and photos) see http://www.facebook.com/events/592126600811318/
An interesting feature in Belgium is that the annual Pride celebrations in the Capital city Brussels are always made to coincide with the Day and are held on the Saturday closest to May 17th, allowing a strong concentration of policy and media focus around mid-May. Next year, the Pride will actually take place on May 17th exactly.
Deputy Prime Minister issues official statement of support for May 17
Published on May 16, the statement explains ‘Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders applauds tomorrow’s International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, 17 May. He considers the fight against homophobia, lesbophobia, biphobia and transphobia as a priority for Belgian foreign policy. Just like other forms of discrimination and intolerance such as racism, sexism and anti-Semitism, homophobia also has serious, sometimes devastating effects on the victims’ lives.’

In Brussels, activists also locked themselves in a cage… !

Presenter of Canada’s National Gay and Lesbian television OUTTV Marlene van Oortmarssen and spokesperson of the Wel Jong Niet Hetero group (Flemish LGBT group) Michiel Vanackere spent 48 hours in a cage, in order to draw attention to the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia at the Kunstberg, Mont des Arts in Brussels. Passersby tied coloured ribbons to the cage to show their support.

Photo by Belga – Siska Gremmelprez/AFP/Getty Images ORG XMIT. Source.

You can see a an interview with Michiel, explaining the action, in this short video:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=upf46LldRxg%3Ffeature%3Doembed