Alagoas formalizes the Working Group to Combat Homophobia

Alagoas (a federal district in northeast Brazil) has now officially a Working Group to Combat Homophobia. The resolution was signed on Friday (23) by the Secretaries of Defense Social Security (DES), Darius Caesar, and Women, Citizenship and Human Rights, Katia Born, during a meeting with representatives of groups LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transvestites and Transsexuals).

The working group, called the GT of Public Safety for LGBT aims to work in public policy, developing vocational qualifications and training for operators of public safety, like police officers, soldiers, firefighters, prison guards, experts municipal officials and civil guards.

With the signing of the resolution, the work of the permanent members GT, which will consist of representatives of Social Defense, the Ministry of Women, Citizenship and Human Rights, Civil and Military Police, the Fire Department, the Superintendent of Jail Management and Expertise of the Journal.

In the group of members invited are representatives of the Judiciary, State Prosecutor, Public Defender, the Bar Association of Brazil (OAB / AL), Council of Human Rights and representatives of the LGBT movement, among others.

“We are committed to help change the situation of homophobia. Therefore, it is necessary that each one of us can make our contribution, helping to change this culture of prejudice, “said Secretary Cesar Dario, noting that Alagoas is the first state to sign a technical cooperation agreement to implement policies addressing homophobic crimes.

Appreciating the initiative of Social Defense, Secretary of Women, Katia Born, noted that the working group will enable the creation of a network of protection for LGBT people. “The creation of the working group is a historical fact in our state,” he said, adding that the GT is to follow a case, the crimes with homophobic characteristics.

According to the representative forms of sed on the issue, Araão Joseph, the purpose of training is to prepare security professionals who know how to act and to better serve the public in question. “The creation of the GT is a struggle that has lasted more than three years, with a request from the National Secretariat for Human Rights,” he said.

The representative of Alagoas Gay Group, Nilda Correia stressed the importance of the state have been the first to create a working group to implement policies addressing the homophobic crimes. “We live in an important moment, because we will be more respected as citizens we are,” expês.

by Mark George and Henry Mosael
Source – agenciaalagoas.al.gov.br