LGBTQ rights under pressure across Europe
Why aren't things getting better?
Discrimination, violence and legal restrictions targeting LGBTQ people are on the rise in Europe.
Governments in Hungary, Georgia and Russia are restricting LGBTQ rights to push through policies, while reports of harassment and physical attacks are also rising elsewhere in Europe.
Political and religious leaders are speaking negatively about the LGBTQ community more than ever before, leading to record levels of anti-LGBTQ violence. Bias-motivated hate crime attacks are on the rise across Europe.
This bleak outlook is documented in the latest report from ILGA-Europe - an advocacy group representing queer people.
Physical attacks and intimidation
In Poland, Serbia, Italy and Belgium, reports of physical attacks and harassment are on the rise.
The 2024 EU-LGBTIQ Survey found that 55% of respondents had experienced harassment in the past year, up from 37% in 2019.
Incidents of bullying at school rose from 46% to 67%.
In the Netherlands and Spain, reports also show an increase in public discrimination and violent attacks against LGBTQ people.
Threat
In Albania, Italy, Hungary and Slovakia, LGBTQ rights are seen as a threat to traditional values, while support for Trans people is severely limited in Georgia, Hungary, Romania, the UK, and Ireland.
Then there are the so-called ‘propaganda laws’ that criminalise visibility of LGBTQ people. These have been introduced or proposed in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Slovakia and Russia. They limit representation in education and public space.
Violation of democratic freedoms
In addition to legal measures, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan and Montenegro also use so-called ‘foreign agent laws’ to target civil society organisations. These laws force LGBTQ organisations to register as foreign-funded entities, undermining their credibility and work.
In Germany and Spain, conservative groups are trying to limit the influence of LGBTQ advocacy groups, albeit without formal legislative changes. These trends point to a broad erosion of democratic freedoms.
Flawed asylum procedures
LGBTQ asylum seekers also face significant obstacles due to restrictive policies and lack of support. Reports from the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Malta point to flawed asylum procedures and inadequate housing.
Far-right influences are growing in Europe, leading to LGBTQ people being used more often as political scapegoats.
The ILGA-Europe report draws a direct link between the weakening of democratic institutions and the limitations described above.
A few bright spots
Despite these challenges, there are some bright spots.
Courts in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Sweden continue to uphold LGBTQ rights through asylum rulings, hate speech regulations and legal recognition of gender identity.
A number of governments have also tightened anti-hate speech laws to combat discrimination.
First published by Winq magazine - republished with permission
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