The right to freedom of assembly is an important right for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people since, throughout the world, the community has a tradition of organising pride marches.

The right to Freedom of Expression has been enshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights (Article 10), the international covenant on civil and political rights (article 19) and is often seen as a key element to the existence of democracies.

ILGA-Europe has been consistent over the last year in lobbying the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) for explicit inclusion of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression into the political commitments by the OSCE participating states and Ministerial Council decisions related to the tolerance and non-discrimination mandate of ODIHR (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the OSCE).