International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Youth and Student Organisation

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Youth and Student Organisation (IGLYO) is an international LGBT organisation that was created in 1984 as a reaction to the need for better cooperation among regional, local and national LGBTQ youth and student organisations.

IGLYO is a membership-based umbrella organisation that aims to empower and enable its members to ensure representation of LGBTQ youth and student issues. IGLYO advocates on behalf of members to international bodies, institutions and other organisations.

IGLYO is led by an elected Executive Board who are mandated by the General Assembly, which is the highest decision making body of the organisation. Executive board members serve for a two-year mandate. The Executive Board is supported by a secretariat in Brussels, Belgium. IGLYO is currently led by two Co-Chairs; Sarah Rowlinson from Scotland and Patrick Dempsey from Ireland.

IGLYO has more than 80 member organisations in more than 40 countries and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2014.

In 1984, the Dutch Gay Youth Platform (LHJO) hosted the first International Gay Youth Congress and Festival in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The participants regarded the event as such a great success that they decided to arrange a follow-up. In 1985, Ireland’s National Gay Federation hosted the second Congress in Dublin.

At the Dublin conference, plans were made to establish a network to collect and distribute information about lesbian, gay, and bisexual young people and their groups. The youth group from Norway volunteered to organize the International Gay Youth Information Pool (IGYIP), and hosted the Third Congress. At the end of the conference in Oslo, it was decided to establish IGLYO as a permanent organization for lesbian, gay and bisexual youth. The membership has since voted to include issues affecting trans and queer people in the work of IGLYO.

Detailed information on IGLYO's history can be found on http://www.iglyo.com/resources/iglyo-memories/

The Executive Board is the elected leadership of IGLYO. The Board of IGLYO has responsibility to carry out IGLYO’s Annual Work Plan as approved by the General Assembly. According to the statutes, the Board serves a two-year mandate. At the 2011 General Assembly in Amsterdam, Netherlands, it was decided that the Executive Board will be composed of six to eight people, half of the Board will rotate every second year to ensure its sustainability and continuity. Each IGLYO board member has a specific focus area and it is led by two Co-Chairs.

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