Wednesday

22nd Mar 2023

Opinion

The illusion of the EU’s commitment to LGBT rights

  • European Parliament: The EU has not done enough to prevent the regression taking place on its own soil (Photo: europarl.europa.eu)

The EU is good at promoting LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi(sexual) and transgender people) rights beyond its borders, but it should pay more attention to what is happening in its member states.

Same-sex couples are now able to wed in the UK (with the exception of Northern Ireland) and Finland, while the Maltese government unanimously approved a Civil Unions bill which also grants same-sex couples the right to adopt.

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

Denmark passed a piece of legislation on trans issues which activists hail as one of the most progressive laws in the world.

Meanwhile, the EU has been vocal when it comes to third countries and gay rights, criticising the likes of Uganda and Kyrgyzstan.

The EU's diplomatic service even has an LGBT "toolkit" to promote rights in third countries.

But despite this progress, there are regressive trends developing in the EU which are not getting enough attention.

Banned in seven member states

European LGBT citizens experience frequent oppression, fear, discrimination, maltreatment, harassment and violence.

Seven member states have banned same sex-marriage in their constitution.

Recently, a Lithuanian MP warned that a local LGBT NGO will face a Charlie Hebdo-like massacre if it continues its "provocative" activities.

In Austria, a lesbian couple was recently thrown out of a cafe because they were kissing. In the UK, a taxi driver kicked out a gay couple for cuddling, and a trans woman was fired for using the women’s bathroom.

An EU-wide report by the Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) showed that 47 percent of respondents felt discriminated against or harassed due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

LGBT youth are hit particularly hard.

Students often experience bullying at school due to their perceived identity and 67 percent of them hide their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The FRA report found that 91 percent of respondents had heard negative comments or seen negative conduct because a schoolmate was perceived to be LGBT.

A majority of member states continue to ignore the rights of trans people, particularly when it comes to requirements of gender recognition.

In its report "The state decides who I am", Amnesty International finds that in many European countries transgender people cannot obtain legal recognition of their gender unless they get a psychiatric diagnosis and undergo medical treatments which include hormone treatment, surgery, and irreversible sterilisation.

Tip of the iceberg

Contrary to popular belief, legalising same-sex marriage and civil unions is just the tip of the iceberg for most European LGBT people.

The EU has a long way to go before it can truly deserve its reputation as being the champion of LGBT equality and human rights.

While the EU lacks real power over the social policy of its member states, it should vocally condemn policies and legislation that intend to restrict LGBT rights.

The lack of openly LGBT high-level EU officials is dispiriting for young LGBT Europeans who want to make a difference in the world through the EU institutions.

Just as the EEAS published a toolkit to combat LGBT discrimination in third countries, the EU should develop similar tools to improve the situation in member states.

Nitin Sood (Finland) has a degree in Global Challenges from Leiden University and is a member of FutureLab Europe, a selective programme aiming to empower the voice of young Europeans. Nitin has lived in many countries, including Swaziland, Croatia, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author's, not those of EUobserver.

Slovakia bitterly divided on social issues

Slovakia will hold a referendum on marriage and gay rights this weekend, amid a debate so bitter the country's president has warned of "broken" social relations.

Lithuania grapples with homophobia

Lithuania has recently started discussing its attitudes towards homosexuality, in what remains a novelty for a country ranked as among the most homophobic in the EU.

How much can we trust Russian opinion polls on the war?

The lack of Russian opposition to the Russo-Ukrainian War is puzzling. The war is going nowhere, Russian casualties are staggering, the economy is in trouble, and living standards are declining, and yet polls indicate that most Russians support the war.

Turkey's election — the Erdoğan vs Kılıçdaroğlu showdown

Turkey goes to the polls in May for both a new parliament and new president, after incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdoğan decided against a post-earthquake postponement. The parliamentary outcome is easy to predict — the presidential one less so.

Column

When geopolitics trump human rights, we are all losers

The EU must back the UN's Human Rights 75 initiative at the end of the year to rekindle the spirit of the original declaration made in 1948 — and also demand a similar recommitment from all its 27 members.

Why can't we stop marches glorifying Nazism on EU streets?

Every year, neo-Nazis come together to pay tribute to Nazi war criminals and their collaborators, from Benito Mussolini to Rudolf Hess, Ante Pavelić, Hristo Lukov, and of course Adolf Hitler, in events that have become rituals on the extreme-right calendar.

Turkey's election — the Erdoğan vs Kılıçdaroğlu showdown

Turkey goes to the polls in May for both a new parliament and new president, after incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdoğan decided against a post-earthquake postponement. The parliamentary outcome is easy to predict — the presidential one less so.

Why can't we stop marches glorifying Nazism on EU streets?

Every year, neo-Nazis come together to pay tribute to Nazi war criminals and their collaborators, from Benito Mussolini to Rudolf Hess, Ante Pavelić, Hristo Lukov, and of course Adolf Hitler, in events that have become rituals on the extreme-right calendar.

Latest News

  1. Sweden worried by EU visa-free deal with Venezuela
  2. Spain denies any responsibility in Melilla migrant deaths
  3. How much can we trust Russian opinion polls on the war?
  4. Banning PFAS 'forever chemicals' may take forever in Brussels
  5. EU Parliament joins court case against Hungary's anti-LGBTI law
  6. Three French MEPs to stay on election-observation blacklist
  7. Turkey's election — the Erdoğan vs Kılıçdaroğlu showdown
  8. When geopolitics trump human rights, we are all losers

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality
  5. Promote UkraineInvitation to the National Demonstration in solidarity with Ukraine on 25.02.2023
  6. Azerbaijan Embassy9th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and 1st Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us