LGBTIQ equality strategy is a historic success for the EU
The Greens SEDEC coordinator Ufuk Kâhya welcomed the European Commission’s LGBTIQ equality strategy and called for concrete action during the 7th SEDEC Commission meeting on 22 April. He congratulated MEPs Terry Reintke (Green/EFA) and Maria Walsh (EPP) of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBTIQ Rights for the European Parliament Resolution on the declaration of the EU as an “LGBTIQ Freedom Zone“.
Kâhya emphasised in the debate that equality and non-discrimination are fundamental rights of the EU. Discrimination based on different grounds, including sexual orientation, is prohibited. All persons’ rights have to be protected and enjoyed in practice across the EU. He welcomed MEP Reintke’s call on developing and implementing concrete strategies to guarantee these rights across all European regions, cities and municipalities.
Kâhya shared his observation of LGBTIQ rights being violated all over the world, including the EU. He stressed his serious concern that LGBTIQ persons are still being discriminated against on basis of their sexual identity or their gender identity. Therefore, the EU, its Member States and regions, cities and municipalities need to fight proactively all forms of discrimination of LGBTIQ persons and to encourage tolerance as well as respect towards LGBTIQ communities. Especially, local and regional administrations need to explicitly fight discrimination of LGBTIQ persons as well as to support them. This was clearly expressed in a joint statement by the Party of European Socialists, Renew Europe, European Alliance and the Greens Groups last month, which also condemns the development of zones free from so-called LGBT ideology.
‘s-Hertogenbosch, the municipality Kâhya is Alderman in, is a Rainbow City. The city is actively committed to the acceptance, emancipation and safety of LGBTIQ persons. It combats problems such as intimidation and violence. Furthermore, ‘s-Hertogenbosch hangs the rainbow flag in various locations and puts up posters for raising public awareness. These actions by the municipality and its politicians are accompanied by other measures to improve the social acceptance of LGBTIQ persons.
Such best practices could be incorporated into close collaboration between the CoR and the Intergroup proposed by MEP Reintke. She called for a strong cooperation between the different European institutions in the coming years to make LGBTIQ rights a reality.