Kaushalya Perera (30s), member of the Women’s Support Group of Sri Lanka and delegate of the LGBT South-South Dialogue at the IV World Social Forum, India

"The LGBT South-South Dialogue made it possible for me to fully participate in this vibrant platform. Participating at the panel discussions organised and co-organized by the Dialogue on ‘LGBT Alternative Strategies to Exclusionary Globalisation’ and their seminar/debate on ‘Diverse alternatives for Global changes', was very interesting. At both, the focus was not only on issue-based activism but for the need for LGBT issues to be mainstreamed with other political activisms. Listening to the different experiences of the struggles and achievements by Southern activists was an enriching experience for me as a Sri Lankan activist. It was a revelation of both how much can be done and how far we have to go to achieve rights for the community in Sri Lanka. The panellists in the Dialogue's seminar from South Africa, Ecuador, Argentina, India and Sri Lanka, while talking of the different situations in their own countries, also spoke of the necessity for a merged activism against discrimination on grounds of class, race, gender, ethnic group, religion, language, age, disability and any other factor. Taking into account the fact that our lives are a combined result of all these factors we cannot divorce LGBT rights from human rights, but must work on achieving these rights as part of a larger stance against all forms of discrimination. In this light, it is fitting that the LGBT movement has now expanded, albeit in some countries only, to include the rights of intersexed persons as well, making it LGBTI".

Having attended various activities, mostly with LGBTI focus, held at the 4th edition of the WSF, I gained a tremendous learning experience. The World Social Forum was a meeting point for many different thought processes. It gave me a chance to observe complementary as well as conflicting views of LGBT issues and organisations, which is vital to the negotiation of my own position within LGBT activism. It was important for me to witness LGBT politics as a social movement in certain parts of the world, as Sri Lanka is still at the initial period of sustaining LGBT organisations within a largely hostile society. This as well as the networking visible with other groups/organisations/movements made me realise that our work within Sri Lanka and South Asia should be geared towards rights-based activism rather than the present issue-based activism. My experience will enable me to focus my work for the Women’s Support Group in making our activities at grassroots level more solid and by strengthening networks with other rights-based organisations. As a result of my participation in discussions on LGBT rights, I was inspired to become more involved in the work that the Women’s Support Group is initiating towards decriminalisation of homosexual sexual activities in Sri Lanka and to maintain strong links with the LGBT South-South Dialogue. It was also a central space for making new connections with individuals and organisations from India and other Southern countries, which is important in strengthening our activism within Sri Lanka as well as in working for more global changes towards a non-discriminatory world." 21 January 2004, Mumbai, India

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Cesar Cigliutti (40s), Presidente de la Comunidad Homosexual de Argentina y delegado del Diálogo Sur-Sur LGBT:

"El FSM del 2004 tuvo una nueva cara y una nueva expresión. La India y Asia, con su devastadora pobreza económica y riqueza cultural, cambiaron, quizás para siempre, la actitud, las alternativas y la visión de la posibilidad de un mundo diferente.

En la ciudad de Mumbai, donde los espacios públicos tienen un limite muy difusos para la convivencia entre las/os ciudadanos y los vehiculos, donde existen personas que viven en los lugares en los que otras personas depositan su basura, la realidad de la exclusión se impone de una manera contundentemente desigualitaria, sin ninguna forma de justicia social.

Todas las personas que vinimos de los continentes y paises más acomodados, no pudimos evitar enfrentar, conocer y sensibilizarnos con el pueblo de India y de Asia. Un lugar donde la pobreza, la marginación y la exclusión se reivindican por el terrible sistema de castas.

Fue en este contexto que el Panel del Diálogo Sur-Sur se dio. Nos unificamos en la actitud de dar propuestas desde el movimiento LGBT para enfrentar la exclusión inevitable del sistema neoliberal y su reduccionista globalizacion. Nuestra agenda de trabajo y nuestra propuestas responde a esa realidad que no podemos ignorar en la lucha del reconocimiento a la diversidad sexual" 21 de enero del 2004, Mumbai, La India