User:Laurynvaughn/Coalition of African Lesbians

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ORIGINAL

The Coalition of African Lesbians is a lesbian rights nonprofit organisation based in South Africa that has existed since 2003.[1] It is a coalition of more than 30 different organisations based in 19 countries throughout Africa. It is the mission of the organisation to advance justice, equality and visibility for lesbian and bisexual women as well as "trans diverse" people on the continent of Africa.

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The Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) is a network that comprises of 14 non-profit organizations that are spread across 10 different countries in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. Their collective network is centered around feminism, activism, and pan-Africanism. The mission of CAL is to progress the freedom, liberation, and autonomy for all women who reside in Africa or in any other part of the world. Additionally, CAL strives to advocate and build the capacities of lesbian women while promoting African agency.

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ORIGINAL: HISTORY SECTION

The organisation was first founded by 50 activists attending the Sex and Secrecy Conference held by the International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2003.[2]

In 2010, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights declined to give the CAL observer status and rejected the group's May 2008 application.[3] The commission initially rejected the charter stating, "that, the activities of the said organisation do not promote and protect any of the rights enshrined in the African Charter".[4] However, in 2014, the CAL submitted another application, which in 2015 was accepted.[5]

EDIT: HISTORY SECTION

This expansive network was founded in August 2004 in Windhoek, Namibia. A big group of women came together in which they represented 14 different African countries and a variety lesbian and other LGBTQ non-profit organizations. They originally had drafted the name, African Lesbian Alliance, however they eventually solidified Coalition of African Lesbians to be the final name. At this meeting, all of the female participants were very strategic and adamant about advancing lesbian rights and placing power back into a women's ability to make choices for herself, especially in regard to her sexual freedom. They were also focused on disseminating HIV information that would resonate and help keep lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women communities safe as they were often overlooked by prominent HIV/AID organizations. After the framework and clear agenda of CAL was established, the women representatives created a logo and website to brand the network, instituted a constitution, and facilitated elections for office bearers to transition away from a steering committee.

After the African Commission on Human and People's Rights refused to grant CAL observer status, many LGBTQ and human rights activists were extremely frustrated as that decision continued to put lesbian women and other LGBTQ members in danger. During this time, David Kato (a prominent Ugandan LGBTQ activist) was murdered and LGBTQ hate crimes were escalating, thus there was a genuine concern for people's safety. The Coalition of African Lesbians was finally extended observer status in April 2015 after previous years of trying. However, that transformative decision was not received well by certain members of the African Union due to the fact that the promotion LGBTQ rights and inclusion is still a controversial and debated topic within Africa.