Two sexual
orientation and gender identity rights groups were granted
consultative status on Tuesday by the United Nations
Economic and Social Council.
COC Netherlands
and the State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals,
and Bisexuals of Spain (FELGTB) are national organizations
representing LGBT communities in the Netherlands and
Spain.
"It means we can
join the efforts at the U.N. to address human rights
violations against people with an alternative sexual
orientation or gender identity," said Bjorn van
Roozendaal, COC Netherlands's international
advocacy officer, reports PinkNews, a major online
source for European gay news.
Consultative
status allows nongovernmental organizations to deliver oral
and written reports at U.N. meetings.
COC Netherlands
and FELGTB Spain join approximately 3,000 other NGOs with
consultative status at the U.N., only a few of which are gay
rights advocacy groups.
The NGO Committee
is scheduled to review a number of additional
applications from LGBT groups at its next two sessions in
January and May 2009. (The Advocate)