This webinar will take place online on 12 May 2025. It is aimed at Equinet members, policy-makers, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders in the field of LGBTIQ+ equality in Europe.
Background
LGBTIQ+ equality is increasingly at the centre of political discussions across Europe, with the LGBTIQ+ community facing rising hostility due to extremist and anti-gender movements. This hostile climate particularly affects specific groups, namely trans, intersex, and gender-diverse persons. According to the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) third LGBTIQ survey, discrimination remains a significant issue, with over a third of LGBTIQ+ people experiencing discrimination in their daily life, while violence against the community is on the rise.
At the same time, recent years have seen a growing attention to the rights of LGBTIQ+ persons, broader societal acceptance and increased representation in mainstream media as well as important developments towards equality and inclusion of LGBTIQ+ persons in Europe, such as the European Commission’s LGBTIQ+ Strategy for 2020-2025 and national LGBTIQ+ action plans in several Member States.
Equality Bodies, with their proven experience and the variety of powers at their disposal, are key actors in ensuring that the fundamental rights of LGBTIQ+ persons, such as that of non-discrimination, are safeguarded.
Equinet has been working to support National Equality Bodies in taking action to advance LGBTIQ+ equality at the national level. In 2024, Equinet collected the experience and knowledge of our Members and released a report that maps the work of Equality Bodies to advance LGBTIQ+ Equality. The Equinet Report “Advancing LGBTIQ+ Equality in Europe: The role of Equality Bodies” provides an overview of Equinet Members’ mandate about the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC); the actions they take and their good practices in a variety of fields of life and aspects of the lived experience of LGBTIQ+ persons, ranging from employment, education, social protection, healthcare, access to and supply of goods and services including housing; to hate speech, hate crime and sexual harassment, family life, legal gender recognition, participation and inclusion of LGBTIQ+ individuals in sports, freedom of assembly and expression, restriction of personal freedom and care-taking.
This Equinet webinar will launch the Report “Advancing LGBTIQ+ Equality in Europe: The role of Equality Bodies”, present the report’s main findings, build the capacity of and strengthen Equality Bodies, as well as raise awareness of the work of the Equality Bodies and foster collaboration with key partners to create a safer and better environment for LGBTIQ+ people in Europe.
Objectives
- Present the key findings of the Equinet report “Advancing LGBTIQ+ Equality in Europe: The role of Equality Bodies”
- Raise awareness on the key role of Equality Bodies in advancing LGBTIQ+ equality
- Identify avenues and possibilities for cooperation between Equality Bodies and other stakeholders
- Facilitate mutual learning on successful activities for LGBTIQ+ Equality amongst Equinet Members
Participants
The target audience of this webinar is Equinet Members, policy-makers, Civil Society Organisations and other relevant stakeholders in the field of LGBTIQ+ equality in Europe.
Preliminary agenda
Part 1
10:00 – 10:10 Welcome: Welcome participants and explanation of the objectives of the Report
10:10 – 10:20 Keynote speech
10:20 – 10:40 Section I – Setting the scene: the experience of LGBTIQ+ persons in Europe
This session will discuss the societal condition of LGBTIQ+ persons and the challenges they face across Europe and in the national context.
10:40 – 11:20 Section II – The role of Equality Bodies in the current legal framework
This session will reflect on the mandate, powers and resources of Equality Bodies, as well as the challenge they face and the opportunities for collaboration with other key stakeholders, in the context of the existing legal framework at the EU level.
Q&A for Section I and Section II
11:20 – 12:00 Section III – Advancing equality for trans and intersex persons
This session will delve deeper into the specific forms of discrimination that trans and intersex people face and how Equality Bodies can tackle and have tackled them.
Q&A
12:00 – 12:10 Closing of Part 1
Part 2
14:00 – 14:10 Welcome: Welcome participants and main points from Part 1.
14:10 – 15:00 Session IV – Safety of and inclusion for the LGBTIQ+ community in an increasingly hostile environment
This session will address the rising hostility towards the LGBTIQ+ community, including increased polarization, (online) hate speech, anti-LGBTIQ+ discourse from politicians and media, and shrinking civic space for the support to LGBTIQ+ equality. It will also explore how Equality Bodies have and can uphold the dignity, safety, and equal treatment of LGBTIQ+ individuals in this challenging climate.
15:00 – 15:50 Session V – Building strong alliances to advance LGBTIQ+ Equality
This session will discuss avenues for cooperation between Equality Bodies and other key stakeholders in the field of advancing LGBTIQ+ equality. Especially in the current adverse climate to equality and non-discrimination, strong alliances are vital.
15:50 – 16:00 Concluding remarks
For further information, please contact Chiara D’Agni ([email protected]) and Moana Genevey ([email protected]).