The association is the largest in South America

ABGLT's new board is elected with 65% of total votes

Two different groups were candidates in the elections for the new board
of directors of the Brazilian Gay, Lesbian and Trans Association
(ABGLT), held on November 18th. The winning group, running in the
elections under the name of Unity in Action, was elected to run ABGLT
for the next three years, with 65% of total votes cast. Toni Reis is
the organization's new president.

The election took place during ABGLT's 2nd Congress, held in the city
of Maceió, from November 15th to 18th 2006. The new board of directors
defended the proposal of increasing civil society monitoring of the
implementation of the Brazil Without Homophobia Programme; accompanying
the voting of government budget resources of interest to LGBTs in the
country's Congress, as well as proposed laws to criminalize homophobic
discrimination, ensure civil partnership and permit trans persons to
change their names and sexes; in addition to building the capacity of
ABGLT's member organizations through specific projects for gay men,
lesbians and trans persons, as well as awareness-raising courses for
those who work in the legal system, among other proposals.

73% of the elected board is serving office for the first time, and more
than 50% are either Afro or Amerindian Brazilians, in addition to gays,
lesbians, trans and bisexuals holding posts across the board's
relatively large structure.

ABGLT's new president, Toni Reis, 42, is a teacher and specialist in
both human sexuality and group dynamics, as well as being master of
philosophy in the specific area of ethics and sexuality. Toni has been
a leading figure of the Brazilian LBGT movement for over 15 years and
was ABGLT's first president when the association was founded in 1995,
with just 31 founding member organizations. Toni is also Deputy
Coordinator of the Latin American network ASICAL (Association for
Integral Health and Citizenship in Latin America and the Caribbean).

The composition of the new board is as follows:



President: Toni Reis, teacher

Vice President (Trans):  Liliane Anderson, social educator
Vice President (Lesbians): Yone Lindgren, photographer
Secretary General: Cláudio Nascimento, project coordinator
Human Rights Secretary:  Marcelo Nascimento,  political advisor
Communications Secretary: Léo Mendes, professional journalist
Finance Secretary: Beto de Jesus, teacher

Substitutes in the event of vacancies in the above posts:

Edvaldo Souza, web designer
Cris Simões, lawyer
Alexia Matos,  self-employed

Southern Region:

Alexandre  Böer,  jornalista
Substitute: Simone Valencio, linguist

Southeast Region

Carlos Magno, journalist
Substitute: Vera Couto,social educator

Mid West Region:

Clóvis Arantes, teacher
Substitute: Marcelo Terra , student

Northeast Region:

Bizan Velô, health worker
Substitute:  Rafael  Carvalho,  health worker

Nothern Region:

Sebastião Diniz, administrator
Substitute: Maria de Fátima

Supervisionary Council:

Paulo Paixão, Silvânio Mota and Marcelo Dias,
Substitutes: Jeferson Plácido, Carlos Eduardo and Marcos André

Council of Ethics:

Gilvan Nixon, Gustavo Bernardes,  Elandias Bezerra
Substitutes: Waltécio  Ferreira, Welber Luis, e Júlio  Ávila Dias.

ABGLT approved 37 new member applications, taking the total number of
member organizations to 202. As such the association is the largest in
South America.

New Member Organizations

Associação Amazonense -AAGLT (AM)
Grupo Gay de Rondônia -GGR(RO)
Fórum das Transexuais de Goiás (GO)
Associação de Gays, Lésbicas e Trans de Anápolis-AGLATA (GO)
Associação de Gays, Lésbicas e Transgeneros da Região das Aguas Quentes
- AGLT-RAQ -Caldas Novas (GO)
Humanus (BA)
Associação Enfrentar (AL)
Grupo Homossexual da Periferia - GHP (BA)
GALDIUM (MG)
Movimento Gay de Divinópolis (MG)
Movimento Gay de Minas - MGM (MG)
Grupo Diversidade de Niterói - GDN  (RJ)
Grupo Orgulho, Liberdade e Dignidade  - GOLD (ES)
Identidade (SP)
ALEM (MG)
Igualdade (RS)
Dom da Terra (PR)
Amores (RJ)
Grupo Gay de Lauro de Freitas (BA)
Grupo Homossexual do Cabo (PE)
Movimento Gay das Gerais (MG)
Grupo 7 Cores (RJ)
Cabo Free (RJ)
Movimento Gay do Sul de Minas do Vale do Aço (MG).
Grupo Beija Flor (RO)
Transgrupo Marcela Prado (PR)
Associação LIBLES (MT)
Gradelo (MT)
Sohmos Arapiraca (AL)
Atos de Cidadania (PE)
SHUDO (PE)
GVP (PB)
Coletivo Feminista de Lésbicas - CFL (SP)
Centro Paranaense da Cidadania - CEPAC (PR)
RNP+ Curitiba (PR)
Associação para a Prevenção e Tratamento à Aids - APTA (SP)
Rede Sol (PR)

Congress Decisions:

The decision was reached to hold ABGLT's III Congress in 2008, in the
city of  Belém (PA). Other decisions taken at the Congress include the
holding of biannual meetings of the association, alternating with the
Congresses; the creation of state level forums of ABGLT member
organizations; as well as specific coordinating groups for Youth, the
Deaf, Afro-Brazilians; the Elderly and People Living With HIV/AIDS.