International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) is an international organization bringing together more than 750 LGBT and intersex groups from around the world. It was founded in 1978, at the very end of the gay liberation period. Although North and South American as well as Australian and New Zealand organisations were early members, ILGA long remained a mostly European organisation. It was also a predominantly male group, with no women attending the first meeting in Coventry. Although a women’s caucus was set up in 1979, IGA only changed its name to ILGA to give lesbians more visibility in 1986.

ILGA's discourse on pedophilia was long influenced by a liberationist rhetoric, which was aimed at the overthrow of sexual repression and located the end of gay oppression within a broader liberation of sexuality. Therefore, the organisation insisted on the need for solidarity with other sexual minorities, including pedophiles and young people. The long dominant liberationist approach gradually shifted towards the adoption of an official policy against pedophilia in 1993.

According to IGA’s archives, the organization first dealt with pedophilia in 1979, at the Bergen (the Netherlands) conference. Member organisations knew they had to adopt an official position, but they could not agree on the one they wanted to promote. Therefore, they arranged to hold a specific panel on this topic. Because of the diversity of opinions, however, the decision was postponed, and it was agreed to carry on with this debate at the next two conferences, in Brighton in December 1979 and in a village close to Barcelona in 1980. Some members were already aware of the explosive nature of this debate, as shown by discussions about potential damage to the organization’s image and to gay and lesbian struggles.