There are currently 14 nations and territories represented on the EGPA Board: Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, France, Scotland, Italy, Austria, Norway, Ireland, Spain, Northern Ireland, Sweden, England and Wales. These representatives have crafted a unique video message in order to demonstrate support for LGBT people and collectively condemn acts of homophobia, transphobia and biphobia.

Since 2013, all European Institutions, major NGOs and specific LGBT networks, like the “Rainbow Cities” gather on the IDAHOT week for a regional conference which debates over policy issues at EU levels on LGBT matters.

After Netherlands and Malta, the conference will be hosted this year by the Montenegrin government

Also part of the IDAHOT week celebration, there will the screening of the film “Prayers for Bobby”, followed by a discussion with the directors of the movie, Ulrike Lunacek (Vice-President of the European Parliament  and member of the IDAHO Committee Advisory Board), Dimitrios Papadimoulis (Vice-president of the European Parliament), and activists.

Third International Ministerial IDAHO Forum 10-12th May

Third IDAHO Forum titled “Ending hate crime and violence”, hosted by the Government of Montenegro, will take place on May 10-12, 2015, marking this year’s International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

It will gather senior representatives of national governments, the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the European Parliament, Law Enforcement and the European Govermental LGBT Focal Points Network representatives, as well as members of international and national non-governmental organizations dealing with LGBTI issues.

Forum, to be held in Montenegro, will address several topics, through panels, sessions and meetings, such as:

• Two Years of Impact working for lasting change: Progress achieved to date on the agenda by European IDAHO Forums 2013-2015 

• Taking a comprehensive approach tackling discrimination in Europe: Hate Crime, Bias Crimes and Violence Against LGBTI People 

• 3rd IDAHO informal Ministerial meeting
(for Ministers from the EU and the Region only)

• Combating Myths and Stereotypes with Tools for Police and Judicial Education on LGBTI: A review of the best available practices to combat myths and stereotypes about LGBTI people 

• Regional approach: Mutual learning, exchange of best practices and cooperation in combating discrimination and promoting equality for LGBTI people 

• European Court of Human Rights promoting and protecting LGBT people’s human rights.

As part of IDAHO Forum 2015, 14th Roundtable of the European Governmental LGBT Focal Points Network (Invitational), Informal Intergovernmental Organizations coordination meeting on LGBTI issues (IGO’s only) and presentation “Human rights of intersex people: challenges ahead” will be organized.

All details HERE

The groups Athens Pride and Colour Youth – LGBTQ Community of Athens, commemorated the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2014 in conjunction with ʺVote for your rightsʺ a joint awareness raising campaign for the 2014 European parliamentary elections.

On May 17, volunteers for the Vote for Your Rights program carried placards through the historic center of Athens, with the slogans supporters sent to the organizers. The route started from Syntagma Square and ended in Monastiraki Square, with a stop at the Church of Kapnikareas on Ermou Pedestrian Street.

This year activists underlined that it is important to vote against homophobia and transphobia, which result from the lack, in Greece, of legal recognition of LGBT rights and the lack of appropriate information and awareness.

Further Information

The European Union is making inroads in this fight by initiating relevant laws and policies. Actions taken in this direction by the European Parliament can be found (in Greek) here

More info on the event: can also be found here

More on ʺVote for Your Rightsʺ campaign: also here

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.