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NAMBLA Affirms Its Membership in ILGA (December, 1993)

NAMBLA has been a member of the International Lesbian and Gay Association for 10 years. We've been continuously active in ILGA longer than any other US organization. NAMBLA delegates to ILGA helped write ILGA's constitution, its official positions on the sexual rights of youth, and its stands against sexual coercion and corporal punishment. We are proud of our contributions in making ILGA a stronger voice for the international gay and lesbian movement and for sexual justice. In spite of this proud history, four of ILGA's six secretariats, meeting in New York, November 5-7, have request NAMBLA to resign and stated that they will seek its expulsion by the general membership this summer unless it complies. This small administrative body individuals issued press releases on November 7 stating that ILGA "condemns pedophilia" and that NAMBLA's "political aims... are in direct contradiction" to those of ILGA. In particular, the statement cites NAMBLA's opposition to age-of-consent laws as a tool for protecting young people from sexual coercion. These statements by the secretariats' committee are a craven and dishonest attempt to satisfy demands by the US Mission to the UN. On October 16, the US Mission's Bisa Williams-Manigault sent a letter to ILGA stating that the US will seek ILGA's removal from the UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) unless ILGA "dissociate[s] itself from NAMBLA and other affiliate organizations whose objectives," in the opinion of the US government, "are not consonant with UN human rights activities." In addition, Williams-Manigault has told the press that to meet US demands, ILGA would have to expel at least two other organizations. The Dutch Vereniging Martijn and a US group called Project Truth along with any other member organization that has expressed support for NAMBLA's positions. The ILGA secretariats' statement contradicts the positions ILGA has adopted over the course of a decade, and greatly distorts NAMBLA's platform. ILGA's current positions on man/boy love and pedophilia are explicit: -- In 1985, ILGA adopted a position on "Age of Consent/Paedophilia/ Children's Rights" that urged member organizations to "lobby their governments to abolish the age of consent law" so long as there is "adequate protection for youth from being sexually abused without the age of consent law." -- In 1986, ILGA adopted a position that says the group "supports the right of young people to sexual and social self-determination." -- In 1988, ILGA declared "this conference recognizes that existing same-sex age-of-consent laws often operate to oppress and not to protect; that in many countries, existing laws on sexual coercion and rules of evidence also often operate to oppress and not to protect; that therefore member organizations are urged to consider how best children, adolescents, and people of all ages can be empowered and supported against both sexual coercion and sexual oppression and to work towards that end." -- In 1990, ILGA "calls on all members to treat all sexual minorities with respect and to engage in constructive dialogue with them. In another position adopted that year, ILGA declared that it "supports the right of every individual, regardless of age, to explore and develop her or his sexuality." ILGA has also taken strong stands against sexual coercion. NAMBLA helped write these positions, and our delegates supported them in the General Assembly, contrary to what the ILGA secretariats imply. -- In 1990 ILGA adopted as an official position that "Major power imbalances create the potential for child abuse. ILGA condemns the exploitative use of power differences to coerce others into sexual relationships." Every one of the resolutions cited above was adopted by at least an 80 percent majority of ILGA delegates; many were adopted unanimously. Their status as official ILGA positions is a matter of public record. Not one of these positions has ever been revoked by ILGA's membership, and all have been distributed to the media as recently two months ago by ILGA's Information Secretariat as official positions. NAMBLA fully supports ILGA's efforts to achieve consultative status on the UN's ECOSOC, though we did not play any role in attaining that status. Any attempt to link NAMBLA or ILGA with child abuse is dishonest and malicious. But in an effort to save ILGA's ECOSOC status, one small project of ILGA, its secretariats have taken a dangerous step toward destroying what ILGA is at essence: a diverse, democratic coalition controlled by its members, not a small group of leaders. The following are quotes from NAMBLA position papers adopted at the indicated times by NAMBLA's membership. The reader can determine whether or not an "extreme divergence" exists between the views of NAMBLA and ILGA. "NAMBLA condemns those who exploit children and others for profit and pornography... NAMBLA condemns pornography which furthers racial and sexual stereotypes." [adopted November 11, 1981] "NAMBLA supports economic and racial justice for youth, especially for gay youth, who are often doubly oppressed. Wherever forms of hustling thrive on racial or economic inequality-- especially in third- world countries, where imperialism is involved-- NAMBLA condemns the inequality and imperialism and calls on men and boys to work actively against them." [adopted November 11, 1981] "NAMBLA... calls for the adoption of laws that both protect children from unwanted sexual experiences and at the same time leave them free to determine the content of their own sexual experiences." [adopted December 4, 1983] "NAMBLA has always opposed any form of abuse or coercion... and NAMBLA condemns rape and sexual assault." [adopted December 4, 1983] "Exploitation, sexual or otherwise, is neither approved of nor practiced by NAMBLA. NAMBLA recognizes that exploitation occurs in the area of hustling, and the publication of erotica, and has called on its members to help eliminate exploitation in these areas." [adopted December 4, 1983] "NAMBLA condemns corporal punishment, kidnapping, rape, and sexual exploitation. Participation in corporal punishment, kidnapping, rape, and sexual exploitation is contrary to NAMBLA'S statement of purpose. It is grounds for expulsion from NAMBLA." [adopted December 4, 1983] As the above positions detail, NAMBLA has no difficulty supporting in its entirety the 1990 statement of ILGA on the protection of children. We reaffirm our support of that ILGA statement now. NAMBLA believes that the attitude of the 1990 ILGA conference is also shown by the resolution calling on "all members to treat all sexual minorities with respect and to engage in constructive dialog with them." Already, several ILGA activists and member organizations have condemned the secretariats' actions and reaffirmed their support for the participation in ILGA of man/boy lovers. The national German gay coalition Bundesverband Homosexualitat has declared that it is "astonished and embarrassed" at the secretariats' actions. "We are convinced that any attempt to expel NAMBLA and others from ILGA will be rejected by the vast majority of ILGA members," writes BVH executive committee member Wolfram Setz. Another German group, Verein for Sexuelle Gleichberechtigung adds, "The fight for... fundamental human right[s] must not be relinquished or reduced because of the political pressure from any government. Where would we end up if we made concessions in this respect? NAMBLA's objectives are as far we know absolutely in agreement with... the UN declarations of human rights and children's rights." The Secretariats, by their actions, are seeking to transform ILGA from being a "parliament" of the international lesbian and gay movement-- a place where real discussion and compromise takes place among groups with varied focuses and approaches-- and instead turn it into a public relations showcase for a few leaders. We value our participation in ILGA in part because of how we ourselves have been challenged and have grown by talking and working with lesbian and gay people with different experiences and perspectives than our own. We have been gratified and encouraged at seeing others change their feelings and perceptions about man/boy love through working with us. Growth and understanding of this kind should continue. **** In Liberation For All, Roy Roy Radow roy@panix.com ...rutgers!cmcl2!panix!roy North American Man/Boy Love Association -For membership info & brochure write to: NAMBLA, Dept. RR, PO Box 174, Midtown Station, NYC, NY 10018. Send $5 for current Bulletin with amount credited toward membership fee. Publications list available upon request.