Boris Dittrich One of the world’s leading GLBT advocates will give a guest lecture at Auckland University and a talk at an Auckland church next week. Advocacy Director of the LGBT Programme on Human Rights Watch in New York Boris Dittrich will speak on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights at Auckland University’s Stone Lecture Theatre on Wednesday at 1PM. On Thursday he will host a talk alongside New Zealand’s marriage equality champion Louisa Wall at St-Matthew in the City, from 6PM. Dittrich was the Netherlands’ first openly-gay Member of Parliament and during his term passed an unsurpassed four private members bills, including one which made his nation the first in the world to introduce marriage equality. He also co-organised the launch of a landmark document, the Yogyakarta Principles, which guide the application of international human rights law in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity, at the UN in New York. Dittrich also co-organised two side events at the UN Headquarters on sexual orientation and gender identity which resulted in the joint statement of 66 countries (now 67 including the United States) to combat discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 15th November 2012 - 12:52pm