Only when we start to acknowledge injustice can we really eradicate
it. Reflecting a hate-crime committed 447 years ago, today the City of Geneva uses
a cold moment in history to set a profound symbol for the future. The placement
of an engraved plaque in the city’s center near Bel-Air - with the endorsement of
the Geneva mayor Sandrine Salerno and the undertaking of NETWORK, an
organization of gay leaders - is set to serve as a living memory of hope. Hope against
hate.
The story taking place today is one that dates back to June
10, 1566. That’s when Bartholomé Tecia, a 15-year-old student, was sentenced to
be drowned in the Rhone River after being convicted of homosexuality. By commemorating
his wrongful death through a plaque in the City of Geneva, representatives of
the group NETWORK say Geneva is making an international statement towards the
universal understanding for human rights.
“When someone passing by sees this plaque, it will signal
the symbol behind Bartholomé Tecia. A message lives on. It is a witness to how history
sets a vision for us, as we make sense of the upbringing, culture, society and
lifestyles of that time,” said Dominique Rachex of NETWORK Geneva in a press
release.
Likewise, it also makes one think of the number of LGBT
people locally and across the world that still encounter prejudice and
discrimination. The tragedy of Bartholomé is certainly not a unique case of
hate. There are records of 31 others, who from 1444 to 1662, were also sentenced
to death because of their homosexuality. And, in recent times, from anti-gay legislation in Uganda to the recent
homophobic killing of 32-year-old Mark Carson in New York, the symbol of
Bartholomé is more relevant than ever.
With June bringing celebrations of pride, the new plaque in
Geneva is a strong presence in the right direction that all Swiss can be proud
of.
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