Ulrike is also member of the IDAHO Committee’s advisory board and a long time LGBT activist.

“Fighting homo-, lesbo- and transphobia from the European Parliament

 Today in Europe, the fundamental rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people are better respected than anywhere else in the world—thanks in great part to the European Union, and in particular to the European Parliament. Since the Treaty of Amsterdam enshrined non-discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in the acquis communautaire in 1997, the fundamental rights of LGBTI people have become less of a political cleavage, and more of a consensus among all mainstream political groups. Today, we can safely affirm—as did 1st VP of the Commission Frans Timmermans in his parliamentary hearing—that homophobia has no place in Europe.

Legal improvements and political support have led to greater acceptance of and respect for LGBTI people. It also led to increased visibility, including in places where we would not directly expect it: Poland had an openly gay Member of Parliament, Robert Biedron, who was recently elected mayor. They also have an openly transgender MP, Anna Grodzka. In Latvia, Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkēvičs also had the courage to come out.

Yet, despite significant advances and increased visibility, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people still face prejudice and sometimes violence. In times of economic crises some also try to sideline human rights issues. We need broader, firmer and clearer political courage, which pushes EU leaders not only to issue occasional powerful statements, but to unwaveringly commit themselves to advancing the protection of LGBTI people in EU legislation and in an EU-wide strategy tackling homophobia.

In the European Parliament we continue to fight for the rights of LGBTI people. In February of 2014 a large majority of the Parliament voted in favor of a recommendation for a Roadmap against homophobia and discrimination of LGBTI people. In this ‘Lunacek’ report, that I authored, the Parliament asked the Commission to work together with Member States to develop a strategy to guarantee the human rights of LGBTI people throughout the Union, in all relevant areas, including employment, social affairs, health care, education, asylum; in the EU’s foreign relations; and also tackling hate speech and hate crime. Despite angering some who claimed this would create ‘special rights’ for LGBTI people, the report found widespread support.

The EU must become less timid, tackle homophobia head on, and ensure non-discrimination is strictly enforced. LGBTI people in the EU and outside must know they can rely on the EU to protect them and promote their rights.

As an openly lesbian politician myself I am proud to be Vice-President of this Parliament that represents 500 million Europeans, and condemns the discrimination of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people in Europe and in the world. Let us work harder yet, so that next year we may look back, and see that Europe has progressed further down the path of universal human rights.”

The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia was commemorated with three different events in Bulgaria: A discussion with MEP Candidates, a Live Art Installation, and a Bike Rally in Sofia on May 17.

Discussion event focuses on European elections

For IDAHOT 2014 in Bulgaria, a key discussion event took place with the participation of Victor Lilov, MEP candidate from Reformatorski Block (Reform Block Coalition) and Genady Kondarev, one of the founders of Zelenite Political Party (the Greens), on a broad range of issues concerning LGBTI people. Another MEP candidate, Ilhan Kyuchuk, representative of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, who was unable to attend personally, also sent a letter of clear commitment to work in support of LGBTI equality if elected to the European Parliament. The same commitment was shared by Victor Lilov, while Genady Kondarev reaffirmed that commitment to LGBTI rights has been on his party agenda since its founding. The event was co-organized by Bilitis and the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee.

Live art installation satirises ‘gay propaganda’

A “Live Art Installation” in front of the National Parliament also served to mock institutionalized homophobia and transphobia by creating a live chain of people wearing T-shirts with different letters, making up the phrase “gay propaganda”. The art installation ridiculed the laws which obstruct LGBTI people’s freedom of expression, known as anti-gay-propaganda laws. The art installation was designed by Deystvie LGBT Youth Association, and supported by Bilitis. Some of the participants also wore beards as a sign of celebration of Conchita Wurst’s Eurovision win. The latter was very negatively presented in the Bulgarian media.

Source: Bilitis

4th Bike Rally Against Homophobia & Transphobia

The 4th Annual Bike Rally Against Homphobia and Transphobia in the central part of Sofia also took place, organized by Deystvie LGBT Youth Association, and supported by Bilitis. Christiana Daneva from Bilitis, member of the board of EGLSF since March 2014, took part in the rally and expressed the support of EGLSF.

In Luxembourg, various actions including an online campaign were organised to commemorate the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Rosa Lëtzebuerg, together with the information center CIGALE held an action called “1000 Hands against Discrimination” at the Clairfontainesplaz in the city of Luxembourg. The action also consisted of an information booth which included information about the Come Out Campaign which was launched by ILGA Europe earlier in 2014, to inform the wider public about the importance of LGBTI rights for the European elections 2014, and to push candidates to commit to guaranteeing LGBTI rights and freedom of expression.

With the website Idaho Lëtzebuerg they also informed people about the day, as well as their online actions, where they asked everyone to change their profile pictures on Facebook and Twitter to the IDAHOT logo.

In Azerbaijan, the organisation Nəfəs LGBT Azərbaycan Alyansı prepared two actions in order to commemorate IDAHOT 2014. The actions highlighted the importance of accepting LGBT people as part of society and also challenged violence and hatred against LGBT comunities with a European-wide campaign.

In 2001, Azerbaijan joined the Council of Europe and committed to several obligations, and yet LGBT people still face significant discrimination, violence and isolation in society, and at the hands of the state. Therefore, activists set out this year to analyse legislation in terms of LGBT rights in Azerbaijan, and to propose new bills which also include raising the profile of national obligations which Azerbaijan has yet to fulfill, in front of the European parliament.

‘March for Equality’. Source: Nefes LGBT

Under the theme ‘We are as old as Gobustan!’, Nefes, the LGBT Azerbaijan Alliance, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Netherlands, organised a gathering on IDAHOT on one of the oldest human settlements in Azerbaijan, Gobustan. With this event, the participants protested against prejudice within Azerbaijani society, and specifically against the framing of LGBT rights as a ‘European import’, by highlighting that LGBT communities ‘are as old as Gobustan’.

‘We Are as Old as Gobustan’. Source: Nefes LGBT

After a ‘March for Equality’ to the site, the participants release colorful balloons into the sky and rainbow flags were also proudly waved. LGBT people and their allies took part in the protest to say no to Homophobia and Transphobia, to show unity and to speak up for equality, and for an end to anti-LGBT violence.

They shared some pictures online, as well as a video of the #IDAHOT 2014 in Azerbaijan, which you can view here:

Hate Kills Campaign

Prior to May 17, Nefes had also launched a campaign to promote ‘Common Sense for Equality’. In every European country there is an inscription on cigarette boxes: ‘Smoking is harmful for your health and people around you’. The campaign invited people to replace the word smoking with ‘homophobia’ (or ‘transphobia’, ‘biphobia’, ‘hate’, etc). People with cigarette boxes in their hands from different countries all over Europe took photos and sent them in to the organization. The pictures were turned into posters which were then popularised on social media.

‘Hate Kills’. Source: Nefes LGBT

Unfortunately, after the participants stood up against discrimination, isolation and violence against LGBT people at the IDAHOT events in Azerbaijan, Nefes and the Dutch Embassy were accused of ‘hostility against Azerbaijan’. Therefore, Nefes released a statement in reaction to those accusations, which is reproduced here in full:

As a Nefes LGBT we are very concerned over society’s reaction on our activity 17th May, Day against Homophobia.

All the time we hear ‘We live in war conditions’, ‘Who will fight for Karabakh’ and the like. However, to be gay doesn’t mean to be feminine. Today there are ample gay people who serve in the army, they are ready to fight and sacrifice their lives by the order of Commander-of-chief of Azerbaijan Republic.

Unfortunately, head of Karabakh Liberation Organization Akif Tagi illiterately remarked his opinion on ‘march to Gobustan’ in media and blamed Dutch embassy for ‘enmity policy against Azerbaijan’. But he forgets that rights and liberties of a person cannot be restricted due to race, nationality, religion, language, sex, origin, political and social belonging (Constitution of Azerbaijan Republic, article 25) and in this case he must be punished according to Criminal Code of Azerbaijan (Article 154: violation of right to equality). If he knew our constitution, he would know that homosexual relations aren’t crime at all.

Society cannot come to terms that Azerbaijan is a democratic, secular, law-governed state (Constitution of Azerbaijan Republic, article 7.1), and religion is separated from state (Constitution of Azerbaijan Republic, article 18.1).

We understand that, believers in Islam prevail in Azerbaijan and we respect their beliefs. But it doesn’t mean, one can threaten, humiliate LGBT people or their supporters on the basis of their religious beliefs. Everyone has a right to live in this country, including LGBT people, along with religious ones and no one can prohibit this right.

Unfortunately, society thinks LGBT has obscene, lascivious lifestyle, but in reality it is not the case. What LGBT wants is just not to be discriminated. They have normal lifestyle and career as others do.

We also want to point out homophobic journalists and their bias in publications of materials on LGBT. Journalist ethics doesn’t allow them to express their subjective opinions or to use LGBT as a means of PR of their web-site.

Dear editors, don’t forget that your ‘callings on hate’ can deprive someone of his life. Therefore, we think they should pay attention while choosing headlines, pictures and overall information. Law-enforcement bodies also must be careful as the law requires it (Criminal Code, article 147), as some famous pages on social networks spread threat, bias and hate against LGBT, our organization and head of organization.