NEW EVENTS ANNOUNCED FOR PRIDE WEEK/IDAHO 2013 IN CAMBODIA

The national LGBT Network, Rainbow Community Kampuchea (RoCK), is planning a series of new events in the capital, Phnom Penh, to mark Cambodia’s Pride Week, May 12th – 19th, which will also coincide with International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia 2013.
Although there are no legal measures in place to protect LGBTQI communities against discrimination, and some aspects of Cambodian culture are socially conservative, the country has also seen the rise of a relatively well organised and visible sexual rights movement since the late 1990s. Pride week has been celebrated in Cambodia since 2003 and by 2006 counted over 400 participants.
The schedule for the RoCK-organised part of Pride Week which targets the Cambodian LGBT community, particularly from the provinces, is as follows:
* 15th May – Travel day to Phnom Penh
* 16th May – Coming Out because we are not wrong! A workshop aimed at strengthening the community’s ability to speak up for themselves and explain who they are, and also to know the pace at which to do that- it will take time to come out! The information leafelts will be presented, explained, explored and shared.
* 17th May – IDAHO – The beginnings of accepting LGBT rights – A workshop featuring local authorities, police and human rights lawyers who support LGBT rights; highlighting Hun Sen’s speech of 11th December 2012 which strongly supports LGBT rights as human rights; getting advice from the authorities and police about how to protect yourself and how to explain yourself in a respectful way; exploring sexual harassment faced by LGBT once they are arrested or interact with the police or authorities; learning concrete ways to protect ourselves from these risks.
* 18th May – Learning to protect ourselves from rights violations- A workshop led by a human rights lawyer examining how the anti-trafficking law is being used against lesbians; exploring how the commune safety policy is being used against LGBT; learning concrete ways to protect ourselves from these risks.
* 19th May – Pride Community Day: Blessing ceremony, Sports Day and an evening concert of LGBT performances.
* 20th May – Travel back to the provinces.
For more information log onto the RoCK blog, email the organisers via ssrorn09@gmail.com or check them out on facebook.