This year’s Rainbow Map by ILGA-Europe, published at a time when Europe is gearing up for 20-plus elections, including the EU elections next month, shows that while authoritarian leaders across the region continue to use the scapegoating of LGBTI people to divide and mobilise their electorates, others are conversely showing robust political will to honour commitments to advancing and protecting the human rights of LGBTI people. Joan Lanfranco asks 3 questions to Katrin Hugendubel, Advocacy Director at ILGA-Europe.
What is the situation of LGBTQIA+ rights in 2024, according to ILGA-Europe's new Rainbow Map?
This year’s Rainbow Map, published at a time when Europe is gearing up for 20-plus elections, including the EU elections next month, shows that while authoritarian leaders across the region continue to use the scapegoating of LGBTI people to divide and mobilise their electorates, others are conversely showing robust political will to honour commitments to advancing and protecting the human rights of LGBTI people.
The EU needs to pay close attention not only to the rise of political hate speech against LGBTI people, but also to what is happening in Russia, with the criminalisation of the LGBTI movement in Europe as an ‘extremist organisation’. The efforts at division and distraction from consolidated authoritarian regimes are further leaking into other European countries at a time where elections could push Europe into the hands of leaders who wish to shape a radical right, anti-democratic European Union.
Countries such as Italy, which has one of the governments seeking to shape a very different future EU, are providing a stark warning that without proper legislation in place to protect minorities, including LGBTI people, it will be much too easy for newly elected governments to quickly undermine human rights. Europe needs stronger laws and policies to protect LGBTI people. Without these, we cannot talk about safety or about rule of law and democracy. The upcoming elections, including the EU Elections on 6-9 June, present a critical juncture for Europe to reinforce its commitment to democracy and human rights by enacting stronger laws and policies to protect LGBTQIA+ people.
How do you evaluate the EU institutions' work for LGBTQIA+ protection in the current legislative term?
Throughout the current term, the European Parliament has displayed proactive engagement in defending LGBTI rights, vocally condemning attempts to curtail them and initiating infringement procedures where necessary. Nevertheless, challenges endure, underscoring the ongoing necessity for vigilant oversight and legislative action. Candidates standing for election are urged to endorse the Come Out 4 Europe pledge, thereby showcasing their dedication to upholding LGBTI rights as elected representatives. Robust support from civil society is pivotal in ensuring the preservation of these rights as a central tenet of EU policymaking.
What are your main policy demands for the new EU legislative term?
Despite clear commitments to LGBTI rights at the EU level, gaps in protection against discrimination remain. Freedom of movement for LGBTI people and their families throughout all member states is still not ensured, leaving same-sex parents not recognised when crossing some borders and children without a legal parent. Health policies, strategies to tackle homelessness and poverty, measures aimed at supporting refugees, humanitarian aid and crisis responses, as well as regulations of artificial intelligence and digital rights at the EU level, do not consider LGBTI people as target groups and thus continue to fail the community.
We need a strong mandate for the Parliament and the Commission to address these gaps and continue to advance LGBTI equality for the next 2024-2029 term. A Commissioner with a strong mandate for Equality and Fundamental Rights, a European Commission envoy for LGBTI rights, as well as an ambitious successor to the Commission’s 2020-2025 strategy on LGBTIQ equality are key demands in this respect.
The next Commission must also put forward proposals to include gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics as protected grounds in EU legislation, to ensure trans and intersex people are equally protected. The European Parliament's steadfast commitment to defending LGBTI rights must persist, bolstered by the advocacy efforts of civil society and the unequivocal pledges of candidates to prioritise these issues within policymaking.
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The views and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union.
