The EU’s founding treaty, the Maastricht Treaty, states that the Union must uphold the principles of freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human dignity. This also strongly includes defending the rights of minority groups. Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights likewise prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.
In mid-May, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published its third report on the realisation of fundamental rights for the LGBTIQ community across European countries. The report is based on an EU-wide survey answered by 100,577 Europeans over the age of 15 who identify as part of the LGBTIQ community. Respondents came from 30 countries — the 27 member states plus the candidate countries Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia.
Over a third of respondents reported facing discrimination in their everyday lives. This share has fallen slightly (-6%) compared with the 2019 report, in which 42% of respondents reported experiencing discrimination. Non-binary and intersex respondents reported the highest levels of discrimination, with gender-based discrimination particularly common in working life. Discrimination remains largely invisible, as only 11% of respondents said they had reported incidents to the authorities. As in its 2019 report, FRA recommends that member states’ equality bodies be given sufficient resources and visibility to carry out their role in combating discrimination and harassment.
According to the report, violence and harassment against the LGBTIQ community are higher than in 2019. 14% of respondents had been the target of a violent attack within the past five years, with intersex people reporting the highest rates of violence. Hate speech has also reached record levels, and most respondents said they frequently encounter hate speech directed at them on social media.
According to the report, LGBTIQ topics are being handled more positively in schools than before. A clearly larger share of respondents (52%) said they can be openly themselves in almost all public situations, compared with 46% in 2019. However, bullying — especially in schools — remains quite common, and two out of three respondents reported having experienced bullying at school.
Over a third said they had considered suicide within the past year. Suicidal thoughts were most common among young people, transgender people and non-binary people. FRA therefore recommends that member states ban conversion therapy and end non-vital surgeries and procedures performed on intersex children, since the sole purpose of such procedures is to make them conform more closely to society’s binary conceptions of gender. Member states should also effectively provide legal protection for LGBTIQ people so that they do not face inhumane and degrading treatment.
You can read the full report here.
Further information:
Nea Baarman
Political Vice President
[email protected]