What does ILGA stand for?

What is ILGA?

An acronym for a gay/lesbian rights organization, that counts membership worldwide, and once held consultative status with the United Nations.

Definition

An acronym for a gay/lesbian rights organization, that counts membership worldwide, and once held consultative status with the United Nations. ILGA Stands for International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.

Founded in 1978, at a conference in Coventry, the original name was IGA ( International Gay Association ) that was later amended in 1986 to its current name.

Many credit ILGA with being instrumental in having WHO (World Health Organization) drop homosexuality as being an illness.

It also gained 'consultative' status with the Council of Europe in 1999, despite losing its similar status with the United Nations in 1994.

ILGA is also given credit for getting Amnesty International to take up the case of Gays, Lesbians, Transsexuals, being persecuted.

It took 13 years (1991) to get Amnesty International to add Gay Rights as part of its mandate.

Today, Amnesty International is a vocal and strong supporter of GLBT rights, across the world, fighting persecution and abuses of people, based on their sexual orientation.

Controversy has surrounded this group, mainly due to some of the organizations under its umbrella, that appeared to be supportive of pedophilia.

It was this association, that led to the United Nations removing ILGA as a consultative member, accredited to pressure from Jesse Helms, and the comments made by NAMBLA.

UNAIDS ( United Nations AIDS Program) refuses to provide any funding to projects or groups linked to ILGA, due to this controversy.

ILGA contends that the refusal to re-instate their consultative status, is due to their critical reports of many member nations, including the United States, which only recently began to support the application.