At the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, South African queer activist Beverley Palesa Ditsie delivered a historical speech arguing that »lesbian rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights«. In 2020, Ditsie rejoins fellow activists to commemorate and celebrate this significant event for lesbian visibility and LGBTIQ+ rights at the UN. In Lesbians Free Everyone, shot during the global lockdown in 2020, international activists (from Ireland, Thailand, the USA, Serbia, Norway, Belize, Uganda, China, Taiwan, Mexico, Kenya, Brazil, Barbados, Namibia, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, England and South Africa) talk about how energizing their joint protests and gatherings in the legendary lesbian tent were, which was used as a meeting place on the fringe of the conference. Many of the activists from 1994 are still politically active today.

»No woman can determine the direction of her own life without the ability to determine her sexuality. Sexuality is an integral, deeply ingrained part of every human being’s life and should not be subject to debate or coercion. Anyone who is truly committed to women’s human rights must recognize that every woman has the right to determine her sexuality free of discrimination and oppression.« Beverley Palesa Ditsie

Guest: Beverley Palesa Ditsie
Moderation: Ifeatu Nnaobi

In cooperation with Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung and Kölner Lesbian Visibility Weeks