What do the 4 “Rs” (Rights, representation, respect, and recognition) mean for us?
Activities of the Year are organised around four themes. Here is what these themes mean for LGBT people. Below we will also provide translations of this particular document into various EU languages.
ILGA-Europe cannot accept responsibility for accuracy and precision of the translations as all documents were translated by our volunteers and they are not official ILGA-Europe documents and translated for information purpose as well as to reach wider audiences. In case of any doubts, please refer to our documents in English.
Rights – Raising awareness on the right to equality and non-discrimination and on the problem of multiple discrimination
Raising awareness about human rights and existing protection against discrimination for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people among the public and the LGBT community itself should be the main priority for the Year of Equal Opportunities.
Violations of fundamental rights recognized by international legal standards – such as freedom of assembly, protection against hate speech and hate crime, and the rights of human rights defenders – remain widespread within the European Union.
Moreover, many obstacles continue to impede the implementation of the EU anti-discrimination legislation: individuals who experience discrimination and harassment in the workplace often don’t have the support and tools needed to claim their rights and to access justice. Victims of discrimination are faced with the burden of having to “come out” publicly in order to speak about the discrimination they experience; in addition, the support they receive from trade unions and equality bodies is often limited by lack of capacity, knowledge or competence.
Key achievements of the Year would be to do more awareness-raising and implementation of training on anti-discrimination law for equality bodies, trade unions, lawyers, NGOs and legal aid services to increase their capacity to support victims of discrimination. It is also key to make LGBT people more aware of their rights: too often still, LGBT people live with harassment and discriminatory practices thinking that it is “normal”. It is important to provide them with information about existing recourse mechanisms and available sources of support.
In addition, it is essential to involve employers in awareness-raising initiatives to educate about what constitutes discrimination in employment. Discrimination on ground of sexual orientation occurs in recruitment practices but also through widespread indirect discrimination in the workplace (e.g. unequal access to work benefits) and fear of consequences of coming-out. Another achievement of the Year would be to strengthen the dialogue and cooperation with employers’ organizations in identifying practices which promote inclusion in the workplace.
Finally, the Year should contribute to the positive development of legal protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the provision of goods and services, in particular in the areas of education, health and social protection.
Representation – Stimulating debate and discussion on increasing participation of under-represented groups in society as well as a balanced participation of men and women
The discrimination and exclusion experienced by LGBT people is intrinsically linked to their invisibility. LGBT people are (usually) not marked by their bodies and therefore not recognizable at first sight. As a result, LGBT people remain widely invisible in society, in research, and ultimately in policy-making.
As such, the aims in terms of “recognition” should be threefold:
1) Explicit recognition of LGBT people and their rights through positive actions can be very positive and send a strong message of inclusion to LGBT people. For instance, businesses can build a culture of respect and inclusion by supporting gay events in their community or explicitly inviting same-sex partners to office parties. Schools can be proactive by adopting and publicizing anti-bullying policies and including LGBT issues in their curriculum. Health care systems can contribute to equal opportunities in health by ensuring that same-sex partners are considered next of kin and can taken part in decisions about medical care of their partner.
2) Giving visibility to LGBT people in policy-making process at national and European level to ensure that their voices are heard.
3) Give visibility to lesbians and trans-women who are often under-represented within the LGBT community.
Recognition – facilitating and celebrating diversity and equality
It is crucial to send a strong message that the value of people does not depend on their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. This can be done by giving a voice to both well-known and “ordinary” LGBT people who would speak about their lives and who they are, as a way to give a positive portrayal of LGBT people in society.
The Year could also contribute to a growing recognition that LGBT issues and rights are not just issues of concern for LGBT people but for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
But having a meaningful celebration of diversity and promoting equality for LGBT people presupposes a collective debate on barriers to equality for LGBT people, from stereotypes about homosexuality and taboos on sexuality to definitions of family and existing norms in society (heteronormativity of society). In this regard, a key achievement of the Year could be to encourage a wider recognition of same-sex partnerships and LGBT families by Member States.
In addition, the value of Prides – as cultural festivals – and of film festivals, readings and conferences on LGBT issues should be recognized. Such cultural events can significantly contribute to a better understanding of the LGBT community.
Respect – Promoting a more cohesive society
Hate crime and homophobic violence – including homophobic bullying at school – remain a main issue of concern for LGBT people in Europe. In some instances, verbal and physical violence is linked to non-acceptance of people who don’t conform to norms that exist in society, e.g. people who don’t behave like “men should behave” or who “are not feminine enough”. This is often at the root of homophobic bullying in schools. In other instances, violence against individuals because of their real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity is often incited by hate speech of public figures, including politicians and religious leaders.
In this regard, achievements for the Year would be for a growing number of Member States to adopt legislation to protect against hate crime on ground of sexual orientation and anti-bullying policies in schools, and to implement training of police and law enforcement officials on human rights and anti-discrimination, including LGBT issues. Moreover, the Year should be used to create better understanding and dialogue between religion-based groups and LGBT people. It is increasingly important to promote an understanding that faith/religious communities and LGBT communities are not mutually exclusive. Work on this issue should be seen in relation to the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008.
română/in Romanian
Translated by Mihaela Gherca
ελληνικά/in Greek (PDF)
Translated by Pantelis Ravdas
ελληνικά/in Greek
Translated by Pantelis Ravdas
italiano/in Italian
Translated by Simone Bionda
español/Spanish
Translated by David Montero González
