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Lack of Lesbian, Gay, Transgender Rights in Europe Still Dramatic

Dutch MEP welcomes report - UK MEP says politicians need courage
 

■ Emine Bozkurt MEP: “Every day I hear about people being pressured to keep their sexuality a secret, about unrestricted homophobic bullying in schools, about gay couples being denied to rent an apartment and even brute homophobic violence.”

BRUSSELS, March 31, 2009  –  A Dutch MEP today welcomed a report presented to the European Parliament that showed the rights of gay men and women –  and transgender people – are insufficiently protected throughout the European Union.

And the report, Homophobic Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation in the EU Member States, also said that several EU Member States even actively discriminate against their citizens based on their sexual orientation.

“Every day I hear about people being pressured to keep their sexuality a secret, about unrestricted homophobic bullying in schools, about gay couples being denied to rent an apartment and even brute homophobic violence,” Emine Bozkurt, Dutch social-democrat Member of the European Parliament, said in a statement.

“This report shows that these stories are not just incidents and that the EU still has a long way to go in terms of LGBT-rights.”

According to the report, it is almost impossible for LGBT-rights groups in some EU countries to rent venues for political activities.

In 13 out of the 27 EU countries, inciting homophobic hatred, violence and discrimination is neither a criminal offence nor an aggravating factor and when gays wish to report homophobic crimes to the authorities they are often confronted with additional difficulties and little understanding from police officers.

During the presentation of the report Ms. Bozkurt expressed her disappointment about the report only addressing LGBT rights in the EU instead of also including the situation in those countries who wish to join the European Union

The criteria for countries to join the European Union include the protection of fundamental rights.

But Ms. Bozkurt said she receives much information showing a worrying lack of LGBT-rights in the candidate EU-Member States.

She said that she would now ask the chairman of the Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee to organise an official delegation to Turkey to investigate the situation of gays and transgender people there.

Besides offering a detailed overview of problems in the EU Member States the 160-page report also lists positive examples of state intervention which led to a decrease of discrimination of gays and transsexuals.

The introduction of same-sex marriage in Spain for example seems to have improved attitudes towards LGBT persons.

“This proves that discrimination and prejudices decrease when governments take a stand for equal rights,” Ms. Bozkurt pointed out.

“Therefore, this report is a welcome support to my work as later this week the European Parliament will vote on an important new anti-discrimination directive which will also give more protection to gays.”

UK MEP Jean Lambert (Green Party, London), who is a member of the  Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee and the cross-party ‘Intergroup’ on Gay and Lesbian Rights has also welcomed the report.

“It is disheartening to find that homophobia is still rife in many European countries. Incidences of hate crime still take place, bullying still exists at schools, harassment is still encountered in the workplace and, in retirement homes, there is little awareness of LGBT persons’ needs.

“Under such circumstances people are afraid to come out and being ‘invisible’ becomes a survival strategy,” she said..

“This situation is simply unacceptable.

“European legislation is helping to move forward the political dialogue, but in many countries same-sex relationships are still not legally recognized and this also leads to problems if couples move within the EU.

“What we need now is for political leaders at EU and national level to take a firm stance against homophobia and discrimination against LGBT and transgendered persons to help create a positive shift in public attitudes and behaviour.”

On Thursday, the European Parliament will be voting on a new report by Green MEP, Kathalijne Buitenweg, on the proposed anti-discrimination EU Directive.

“I hope that all MEPs will take this opportunity to vote in favour of the report to ensure that new, wide-ranging and progressive anti-discrimination legislation is developed as soon as possible,” Ms. Lambert said.

Michael Cashman MEP (Labour, West Midlands), the president of European Parliament’s Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights, said this afternoon that he hoped that politician across the European Union “would have the courage to end the discrimination which causes so much suffering to so many citizens of Europe.

“Now we have a report by an EU agency clearly showing that LGBT people are suffering severe and unacceptable levels of discrimination and harassment within the EU,” he said.

“Politicians in Member States and the European Commission have a reliable factual data as well as good recommendations by FRA to tackle the problems.”

■ Click HERE for the full 160-page report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.

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