Event Date: November 1, 2023 - 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Location: FSS 4004, 120 University Private, University of Ottawa

Presented by CIPS in partnership with the Dignity Network Canada, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ottawa and GAC 2SLGBTQI+ Pride Network

Diplomats have become increasingly assertive in their promotion of the rights of sexual and gender minorities, both in their bilateral relationships and within multilateral bodies such as the UN, by developing strategic alliances with civil society organizations that aim to protect LGBTQI+ rights in the Global South. Join us for a panel discussion with participants from Canada’s and Germany’s foreign services and from LGBTQI+ rights organizations based in Canada and Belize to discuss their experience of directly or indirectly engaging in “queer diplomacy” and to reflect on its successes, its challenges and its future.

The event will be in English with bilingual (English and French) Q&A.

Please note that this an in-person event. A videorecording will subsequently be made available on the CIPS website and YouTube channel.

Panelists: 

Karina Häuslmeier is the Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy Ottawa and Head of the Embassy’s Science and Economic Affairs Department. Previously, she was Deputy Special Representative for Relations with Jewish Organizations, Issues relating to Antisemitism, International Sinti and Roma Affairs and Holocaust Remembrance in Berlin and, prior to that, posted at the German Embassy Cairo. 

Douglas Janoff was appointed to Canada’s Foreign Service in 2009. A seasoned human rights negotiator, his career has included diplomatic postings to Washington, D.C., Afghanistan and Pakistan. He holds a Ph.D. from Carleton University and is the author of Queer Diplomacy: Homophobia, International Relations and LGBT Human Rights (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022). For more information, see www.queerdiplomacy.com

Caleb Orozco is a longtime activist for the rights of sexual minorities and HIV/AIDS vulnerable communities. He is the co-founder and Executive Director of Belize’s oldest and only policy and advocacy LGBT organization, the United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM).

Stephen Brown is a Professor at the University of Ottawa’s School of Political Studies. Much of his current research is on international LGBTQI+ rights.