A Celebration of Courage: Felipa 2002 Awards Conferred Amidst Community Praise

For Immediate Release: May 9, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO - The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) conferred its Felipa 2002 human rights awards yesterday, May 8, at the Brava! for Women in the Arts Theater in San Francisco. Additional public events are scheduled with Felipa Awardees May 10 in San Francisco, and May 13 and 14 in New York (see at the bottom of this release for more details).

"The Felipa Awards are a special time for me and for the organization," commented Surina Khan, IGLHRC's Executive Director. "These awards give us the opportunity to honor truly inspiring activists, who are the backbone of our work. Their integrity and dedication are inspiring to us all."

Marta Lucía Tamayo Rincón, a Colombian feminist lawyer, was present to receive an award for herself and on behalf of two lesbians in prison whom she represents: Marta Lucía Álvarez Giraldo, and Alba Nelly Montoya.

"Prison conditions are a mirror of social conditions and reflect in a dramatic way the controls that societies exercise over women's bodies, and especially those who are lesbian or display lesbian behavior," stated Ms. Tamayo. "The Felipa Awards may represent an opportunity for many people to understand that although people in prison, especially women, may have had their rights restricted, they have not ceased to be human beings. People in prison must continue to enjoy basic rights so that their human dignity is not violated."

In a note sent from prison, Ms. Álvarez stated: "There are women in Latin America ready to face the consequences so as to achieve dignity for those of us who feel and love differently."

This award was introduced by Kate Kendell, executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. For full bio of Ms. Tamayo, see http://www.iglhrc.org/felipa/2002_Martas.html.

Cui Zi En, an openly gay Chinese writer and film director commented on the difficulties he faced to be able to be present and receive his award. The U.S. Consulate in Beijing first denied and then granted his visa so late, that he was only able to come to San Francisco a mere 10 hours before the ceremony started.

"Maybe the U.S. thought I would come here and bring you all with me to China," he joked. On a serious note, he thanked other Chinese gay activists for opening new spaces for gay and lesbians in China and stated that "a new gay culture is developing through our own endeavor."

This award was introduced by Guo-Juin Hong, Professor of Film Studies at U.C. Berkeley. For full bio of Mr. Cui, see http://www.iglhrc.org/felipa/2002_ZiEn.html

Maher Sabry, an Egyptian activist fighting against police abuse, arrest and torture of gay men, was also present to receive his award. He noted that this coming weekend would be the anniversary of the mass arrests of suspected homosexuals in the Queen Boat in Cairo Egypt. Out of the 52 men tried in an Emergency Court, 23 are still serving hard labor sentences.

"I ask you that keep up the pressure with the Egyptian government," he stated. "The harassment, the arrests, and the unfair convictions of suspected homosexuals continue to happen today."

This award was introduced by Lina Baroudi, an activist with Southwest Asian/North African Bay Area Queers (SWANABAQ) and Arab Women's Solidarity. For a full bio of Mr. Sabry, see http://www.iglhrc.org/felipa/2002_Maher.html.

A posthumous award was given to honor the life and work of Brazilian lesbian activist Elizabeth Calvet. Alejandra Sardá, IGLHRC's Program Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean highlighted her love of life and her contributions to the lesbian and black movements in Brazil.

" As we honor her memory tonight, let us open ourselves to the qualities that made her unique and constitute her legacy: let us open ourselves to integrity, to dance, to rebelliousness," declared Ms. Sardá.

For a full bio of Ms. Calvet, see http://www.iglhrc.org/felipa/2002_Elizabeth.html.

Comedian Marga Gomez emceed the event with grace and wit.

For additional background information, please go to http://www.iglhrc.org/felipa/index.html

Details for Additional Felipa 2002 Related Events

• Situations: A Panel Discussion with Recipients of Felipa 2002 Awards (SF): Friday, May 10, 2002, 6-8 PM
• Where: The Ceremonial Room of the SF LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street, San Francisco
• Details: IGLHRC's Executive Director, Surina Khan will moderate panel. Panel is co-presented with The Center for the Study of Sexual Culture at U. C. Berkeley. The location is wheelchair accessible. ASL interpretation will be available.
• Co-Sponsors include: the Asian/Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Ellas en Accion, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Trikone.

  Panel is free of charge.

Felipa 2002 Award Reception (NY)

• Monday May 13, 2002, 7-9 PM
• Where: The Art Club, 100 Reade St., New York
• Details: The location is wheelchair accessible.
• Tickets: Tickets to either event are $100, and may be obtained by contacting IGLHRC's San Francisco office by telephone (415-255-8680), by e-mail (kevin@iglhrc.org), or at http://www.iglhrc.org/felipa/2002_rsvp_printable.html. Reservations are encouraged as space is limited, but tickets may still be available the day of the event.
• Situations: A Panel Discussion with Recipients of Felipa 2002 Awards (NY)
  Tuesday, May 14, 2002, 6-8 PM
• Where: The New York LGBT Community Center, 208 West 13th Street, New York
• Details: IGLHRC's Executive Director, Surina Khan will moderate panel. Contact the LGBT Community Center regarding wheelchair accessibility.
• Co-Sponsors include: Al-Fatiha NYC, the Astraea Foundation, the Audre Lorde Project, Gay Asian & Pacific Islander Men of New York (GAPIMNY), the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), the New York City Anti-Violence Project, and Project Reach.

  Panel is free of charge.

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