Rainbow Digest December 2025
President of Kazakhstan should reject the “LGBTI propaganda” restrictions
Kazakhstan Senate votes to approve anti-LGBTI provisions
The Senate of the Republic of Kazakhstan to approve amendments introducing discriminatory “anti-LGBTI propaganda” restrictions into national legislation.
If enacted, these provisions would undermine fundamental rights guaranteed under Kazakhstan’s Constitution, particularly the principle of equality and non-discrimination, by directly targeting and stigmatising LGBTI people and anyone perceived to support them.
We urge President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to refuse to sign these amendments and reject them in their entirety.
What can you do?
- Organise public protests and solidarity actions in front of embassies and consulates of Kazakhstan in your countries;
- Amplify the voices and experiences of Kazakh LGBTI people in international and national media;
- Share accurate information to counter misinformation and highlight the broader risks presented by the legislation;
- Express support and solidarity for the Kazakh LGBTI people, who face expanding threats under a widening censorship framework.
ILGA-Europe news
New resources on building communications strategies
We published two learning resources on how to build communications strategies for LGBTI organisations with good examples from the movement.
New resources: Reach and grow your audiences with Meta Ads
Want to make better use of Meta Ads to support your organisation’s digital campaigning? Worried that the new, and welcome EU rules on political transparency, interpreted by Meta to stop human rights advertising, might get in the way? Two new resources on The Hub, ILGA-Europe’s free learning centre for the LGBTI movement, share practical, real-world case studies on using Meta Ads effectively, and give an update on using Meta Ads in the current context. Together, they offer clear lessons on choosing the right campaign objectives, using engaging formats like quizzes, and turning attention into meaningful supporter growth.
Explore the Hub cards here:
- Building a Meta Ads Lead Generation Campaign Completely from Scratch
- Using Meta Ads to Connect to Wider Audiences
Latest news
ASYLUM
Civil society calls for a just, dignified, and anti-racist approach to migration
40 NGOs across Europe released a joint statement to remind EU institutions and governments what a fair, dignified, and anti-racist migration system should look like.
BIAS-MOTIVATED VIOLENCE
What is 17 December and why is it important?
ILGA-Europe launched a new Q and A explaining how criminalisation, racism, transphobia, and stigma affect sex workers, particularly those who are LGBTI. The resource supports policymakers, journalists, and civil society actors with clear information and practical recommendations grounded in human rights.
New report on sex workers’ experiences of crime
European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA) published their new research report that documents sex workers’ experiences with the police following incidents of violence, harassment, and other crimes.
FAMILY
Everything you want to know about the recent ruling on recognition of same-sex marriages in the EU
We answered the frequently asked questions about what the new Court of Justice of the EU ruling means for same sex couples moving or living across the EU.
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION
Court shuts down the LGBTI youth organisation in Turkey
A first-instance court decision has ordered the closure of Genç LGBTİ+ Derneği, a civil society organisation based in İzmir. The decision is grounded in allegations of “obscenity” related to five illustrations shared on the organisation’s social media accounts several years ago.
FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY
Police recommends charges for the mayor of Budapest over Pride
Hungarian police have recommended pressing charges against Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony in relation to this year’s Budapest Pride march. If confirmed, this would mark yet another instance where the Assembly Act is used to target civil society and restrict fundamental freedoms, affecting not only LGBTI communities but democratic participation as a whole.
The pressure facing Pride organisers in Hungary
ILGA-Europe organised a press conference in Brussels with Géza Buzás-Hábel, the organiser of Pécs Pride who is under investigation by the Hungarian authorities. While Géza faces possible criminal charges for organising a peaceful Pride march in a member state of the EU, the discussion offered a more detailed look at how this situation emerged, what is at stake, and what it signals for democratic space in Hungary and across the European Union.
“We organised Pride because we want Hungary to stay in the European Union. This is bigger than the LGBTI community. If we accept the ban, we accept oppression. We stop fighting for equality. I could not allow that.”
Géza Buzás-Hábel
Movement focus
The Irish Marriage Referendum, 10 years on
In our new podcast, veteran activist Ailbhe Smyth reflects on how Irish activists united across divides to win a historic referendum victory for marriage equality ten years ago, and what today’s LGBTI organisers can learn from that approach.
“Our struggles are interconnected”: Migrant justice, resistance, and solidarity
We talked to activists from International Women* Space (IWS), a feminist, migrant- and refugee-led organisation in Berlin, about the realities faced by migrant women, the violence embedded in asylum systems, and why LGBTI solidarity must be rooted in anti-racism and collective resistance.
Notice board
- The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights launched applications for the Minorities Fellowship Programme. Send your application by 31 January.
- International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) opened applications for their training for defenders resisting democratic backsliding and advancing racial justice. Apply by 15 January.
- Digital Freedom Fund launched their new call for grants to support strategic litigation in Europe that contributes to advancing human rights that relate to the use of technology and/or are engaged in the context of digital spaces. Send your proposal until 17 February.
- TGEU is looking for an Interim Executive Director. You can apply before 10 January.
- OII Europe is looking for a Junior Policy Officer. Apply here by 9 January.
- RFSL is looking for an International Program Manager: Capacity Strengthening and an International Program Manager: Grant Management. Apply by 18 January.
- The Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN) is hiring a Capacity Building Programme Officer and Policy and Advocacy Officer. Apply by 5 January.
- Systemic Justice is looking for Strategic Partnerships Lead. Apply here by 18 January.
- The Dalan Fund is hiring a Resource Distribution Manager. Apply by 9 January.
- European Cancer Organisation is looking for a EU Projects Officer. Deadline for applications is 11 January.
- The Good Lobby is looking for a Communications & Policy Intern and Policy & Education Intern. Apply by 6 January.
