Santo Domingo – The United States Embassy in Santo Domingo announced several events scheduled for the month of June in commemoration of LGBT Pride Month. LBGT Pride Month aims to celebrate human diversity and inclusiveness around the world.
During President Obama’s proclamation on LGBT Pride Month he expressed “Our commitment to advancing equality for the LGBT community extends far beyond our borders. In many places around the globe, LGBT people face persecution, arrest, or even state-sponsored execution. This is unacceptable. The United States calls on every nation to join us in defending the universal human rights of our LGBT brothers and sisters.”
The U.S. Embassy announced three activities during the month of June. First, is the National Forum on Inclusive Antidiscrimination Legislation on June 18. The forum is organized by the Volunteer Network Amigos Siempre Amigos (REVASA) with special guest speaker, Janet Arelis Quezada, Deputy Director of Communications for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, (GLAAD). Quezada represents a leading nonprofit on LGBT antidiscrimination laws in the U.S. and will discuss her experience on raising awareness and building partnerships with key stakeholders and civil society on antidiscrimination issues and inclusive legislation.
On June 24, there will be a film screening of “The Laramie Project” at the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) Law school. The film screening will share insights for university students on LGBT antidiscrimination law within the U.S. Legislative system. The 2002 drama directed by Moisés Kaufman tells the story of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming as a result of his sexual orientation. The film showcases the negative effects of hate crimes and harassment based on sexual orientation on our children and society at large.
On June 25–26, the Embassy announced a speaker series with Pratt Professor and renowned filmmaker, Jorge Oliver on Experimental Cinema at the Museum of Modern Art. The event is organized in partnership with the Museum of Modern Art, Direccion General de Cine and UASD Film School and is open to film students, local film producers and directors. The discussion will focus on recent LGBT films, their focus and filmic approach.
Jorge Oliver, a well-known filmmaker and professor whose documentary work includes 2013 documentary Free to Love (Libres Para Amar), Pride in Puerto Rico (1999) and Diaspora (1997), about the migration of Puerto Rican actors to the United States.
The month of June celebrates the forty fifth anniversary of the Stonewall Inn riots, marking the start of the LGBT movement. On this date, President Obama said “…Let each of us speak for tolerance, justice, and dignity– because if hearts and minds continue to change over time, laws will too”. We celebrate victories that have affirmed freedom and fairness, and we recommit ourselves to completing the work that remains”.
LGBT Pride month events aim to highlight the USG’s ongoing support for the protection and promotion of inclusive human rights for the LGBT community worldwide.
