2008
The conference Different Families, Same Rights? LGBT families in Europe co-organised by ILGA-Europe and Legebitra takes place from 4-6 March 2008 gathering some 70 activists, experts and European decision-makers met in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The conference launches two ILGA-Europe publications Different Families, Same Rights? Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Families under International Human Rights Law and Different Families, Same Rights? Freedom and Justice in the EU: Implications of the Hague Programme for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Families and their Children. These publications are an integral part of ILGA-Europe’s family campaign, illustrated by a series of 12 posters/postcards depicting different real-life family situations and raising questions about equal rights.
In April ILGA-Europe launches its campaign in support of comprehensive new EU anti-discrimination legislation covering discrimination on all grounds.
In April 2008 ILGA-Europe publishes the Transgender EuroStudy: Legal Survey and Focus on the Transgender Experience of Health Care.
The lecture Different Families, Same Rights?, organised jointly by ILGA-Europe and the International Law Association (Belgian branch) to mark the International Day against Homophobia, takes place in Brussels on 16 May 2008.
In May 2008 Françoise Barlet leaves ILGA-Europe.
On 2 July 2008, the Commission proposes a single anti-discrimination directive covering all Article 13 grounds (age, disability, religion/belief and sexual orientation) and all areas of life outside employment (which is already banned at EU level).
In June 2008 Camille Lambinon joins the ILGA-Europe team as Finance and Administration Officer and Michael Forrest joins the team as Communications Officer.
Training session on documenting human rights violations and evidence-based advocacy in Brussels from 9th to 11th July 2008.
ILGA-Europe gives a speech at the exhibition 27 Pictures of Pride organised by Christofer Fjellner, MEP, at the European Parliament from 15 to 18 July 2008.
ILGA-Europe takes part in EuroPride 2008 Stockholm from 25 July to 3 August 2008 and delivers a speech in PridePark raising awareness of hostility which LGBT activists experience in some European countries.
Aija Salo leaves ILGA-Europe in August 2008.
The 1st roundtable of the IGLYO-ILGA-Europe AGE project takes place in Berlin from 7 to 8 August 2008.
In August a Handbook on monitoring and reporting homophobic and transphobic incidents is published.
The ILGA-Europe Newsletter is superseded by a new revamped magazine Destination >> EQUALITY in August 2008. The first edition of the new magazine is entitled TransEurope exploring different discriminations experienced by transgender people in Europe.
In September ILGA-Europe moves into new premises in the heart of EU quarter in Brussels.
Beth Fernandez and Lilit Poghosyan join the ILGA-Europe team as Programmes Officers in September 2008.
Michael Forrest leaves the organisation in October 2008.
"Destination>>EQUALITY" edition on the new proposed EU anti-discrimination directive including an exclusive interview with EU Commissioner Vladimir Spidla is published.
The ILGA-Europe annual conference 2008 takes place in Vienna from 30 October to 2 November. The theme of the 2008 conference is “Think Globally – Act Locally”, reflecting the work of ILGA-Europe and its members on advocating for international human rights standards and practices and their implementation at local level.
A new board is elected:
Renato Sabbadini (Italy), Deborah Lambillotte (Belgium), Pierre Serne (France), Linda Freimane (Latvia), Ruth Baldacchino (Malta), Martin K.I. Christensen (Denmark), Paata Sabelashvili (Georgia), Christine Le Doaré (France), Louise Ashworth (UK), Tomasz Szypula (Poland)
Natasa Sukic (Slovenia) was elected as reserve member of Executive Board.
Ruth Baldacchino and Soren Juvas (Sweden) were elected as European representatives on ILGA Executive Board.
During the 30th ILGA World conference Renato Sabbadini was elected Co-Secretary General of ILGA so he resigned from ILGA-Europe's Executive Board and Natasa Sukic became full member of ILGA-Europe's Executive Board.
Christine Loudes takes leaves of absence from December 2008 for three years to work with Amnesty International.
Patricia Prendiville, ILGA-Europe's Executive Director announced she will be leaving the organisation by the end of 2008. New Executive Director was employed - Dirk De Meirleir and starts working with ILGA-Europe from January 2009.
On 10 December ILGA-Europe co-hosts "Different Families, Same Love" exhibition on diversity of families and lack of legal protections for LGBT families at European Parliament.
In December ILGA-Europe produces report “The Rights of Children Raised in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender Families: A European Perspective”.
