Saturday

3rd Jun 2023

Malmstrom: Europe "too cowardly" to confront homophobia

  • Not much has changed from last year's Rainbow Map. (Photo: ILGA-Europe)

EU home affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom has said Europe is "too cowardly" to stand up to mounting homophobia.

"I must say that what is going on now, in recent years, makes me quite scared. We hear ... homophobic speeches and reports of violence against LGBTI people. What we are witnessing is not a society [moving] towards openness and tolerance. It is rather the opposite," she said at an event in Brussels on Tuesday (15 May), on the eve of the international day against homophobia on 17 May.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"The main problem is the lack of people standing up for values in Europe today, the amount of people who are too cowardly to question this rhetoric," she added.

"This goes for politicians, governments, companies, but also for ordinary citizens ... There is a lack of political leadership [and] far too many ordinary citizens do not stand up against such developments," she added.

Asked by EUobserver if the European Commission is also failing on political leadership, she answered: "We could probably do more."

Malmstrom spoke at a meeting organised by Ilga Europe, a Brussels-based NGO campaigning for equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people.

The event saw the launch of what is to become Ilga Europe's annual report on the state of play of LGBTI rights in Europe.

The survey looks at 42 legal criteria ranging from entitlement to adoption to compulsory sterilisation in the case of gender change and covers 49 European countries.

It said "great progress was achieved ... particularly in the fields of asylum and protection from violence."

But it added that "in some countries there is either no progress whatsoever, or worse." The press release accompanying the study also said "none of the countries in Europe can provide full legal equality for LGBTI people."

The UK was judged the most gay-friendly European country, scoring 21 points on a scale from -12 to 30. It was followed by Germany (20), Spain (20), Sweden (18) and Belgium (17). The worst country was Moldova (-4.5), followed by Russia (-4.5), Armenia (-4), Azerbaijan (-4), Macedonia (-4) and Ukraine (-4).

Earlier this month, a gay rights activist was fined in Saint-Petersburg for violation of a local law banning pro-gay "propaganda." A similar bill is currently making its way through Russia's national parliament.

The report comes with a so-called "Rainbow Map" of the old continent, going from deep red in the east to green in the west. Spain (20) and Portugal (15) are green in the south. But France (6) and Italy (2.5) are less gay-friendly.

Ilga Europe director, Evelyne Paradis gave an upbeat statement.

"The homophobic rhetoric of today is mostly a reaction to the fact that the [LGBTI] movement has grown so strong," she told this website.

She added that the economic crisis and "complacency" risk making the EU commission "weak" on fundamental rights.

"We have a commissioner for fundamental rights, we have a charter of fundamental rights. And yet I have the feeling that before [the crisis], they talked about it more. We are entering the zone of complacency," she noted.

MEPs condemn homophobia in eastern Europe

MEPs from across the political spectrum have criticised EU member states Lithuania, Latvia and Hungary, as well as neighbouring Russia, Ukraine and Moldova over an upsurge in homophobia.

Intersex people in EU: ashamed and invisible

Mainstream European society is slowly coming to understand lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. But intersex people in the EU live largely in the dark.

EU clashes over protection of workers exposed to asbestos

EU parliament is calling for more protection for workers exposed to asbestos, the main cause of workplace fatalities in the EU, while member states remain more cautious and will call for a review of its mandate.

Column

What a Spanish novelist can teach us about communality

In a world where cultural clashes and sectarianism seems to be on the increase, Spanish novelist Javier Cercas (b.1962) takes the opposite approach. He cherishes both life in the big city and in the countryside.

Latest News

  1. Spanish PM to delay EU presidency speech due to snap election
  2. EU data protection chief launches Frontex investigation
  3. Madrid steps up bid to host EU anti-money laundering hub
  4. How EU leaders should deal with Chinese government repression
  5. MEPs pile on pressure for EU to delay Hungary's presidency
  6. IEA: World 'comfortably' on track for renewables target
  7. Europe's TV union wooing Lavrov for splashy interview
  8. ECB: eurozone home prices could see 'disorderly' fall

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. InformaConnecting Expert Industry-Leaders, Top Suppliers, and Inquiring Buyers all in one space - visit Battery Show Europe.
  2. EFBWWEFBWW and FIEC do not agree to any exemptions to mandatory prior notifications in construction
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us