Among the 35,000 plus women gathered in Beijing and Huairou in September 1995, ten were from The Feminist Majority. Here are on-site accounts that Feminist Majority Delegation members posted on The Feminist Majority Foundation Online throughout the conference. |
September 5, 1995 - Miranda Johnson, FMF Special CorrespondentLesbians March In Huairou Huairou, China, Sept. 5 - I joined several hundred other people to march for lesbian rights on Tuesday, September 5th. The march spanned nearly the entire NGO forum site, beginning at the main entrance and ending at the lesbian tent at the other end of the site.
Demonstrating the international nature of the movement, slogans were chanted in French, Swahili, Spanish, and English, and there were signs in several different languages as well. Chants included a call and response: "What do we want?": "Lesbian rights!"; "When do we want them?": "Now!" as well as "Lesbian Rights are Women's Rights!" and "Women united will never be divided!" In both French and English, over thirty banners and signs were displayed, most reading "Lesbian Rights are Human Rights."
Onlookers were generally very supportive, and many either joined in the chants or clapped. At the end of the march, we were exhausted and hoarse after marching and chanting for nearly an hour and a half but exhilarated by the solidarity displayed both by participants and onlookers.
Schedule of Plenaries
Statistics on the Status of Women
Copyright 1995, The Feminist Majority Foundation and New Media Publishing Inc.
