Rainbow Digest: October 2023
31.10.2023
We were 450+ activists and allies in Ljubljana for our Annual Conference
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ILGA-Europe |
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Our Conference brought together 450 activists and allies in LjubljanaWe held our Annual Conference from 25 to 28 October under the theme of “Rising to the moment”. We were 450+ activists and allies in Ljubljana. We had 23 workshops, 19 self-organised sessions, 9 connecting spaces, 25 social events, and many more brave and thoughtful moments. Thanks to all our participants for making this Conference a space of inspiration, connection and celebration of queer joy.
Watch back the panel discussions. |
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Listen to our new podcast with Evelyne and Chaber on changing timesIn a new episode of The Frontline podcast, as Evelyne Paradis hands over the reins of leadership to our new Executive Director, Chaber, we sit down with them both to talk about how ILGA-Europe has evolved as an organisation alongside the LGBTI movement over the past decades, and what’s just around the corner, both for the organisation and for the movement.
Listen to the podcast on your preferred platform. |
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Opportunity to join our team as a Communications and Media OfficerWe’re looking for a bright, smart, enthusiastic person who is passionate about communications, media and LGBTI equality to join our team. The Communications and Media Officer will be responsible for ensuring a high profile for the organisation and current issues for LGBTI people with key European stakeholders and for developing content about ILGA-Europe’s work and strategic issues for the European LGBTI movement.
Read more and apply before 6 November. |
Bias-motivated violence |
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New recommendations from the Council of Europe on combating LGBTI phobic hate crimesOn 4 October, the Council of Europe’s Committee on Anti-Discrimination, Diversity, and Inclusion published twelve recommendations to its member states to combat LGBTI phobic hate crimes. These recommendations encompass a wide range of measures, from improving the capacity and training of law enforcement agencies and promoting accessible reporting for victims, to improving implementation and enforcement of existing legal frameworks. With our members, ILGA-Europe actively contributed to the review process, providing expert testimony and identifying measures to fight hate crimes effectively.
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Bodily integrity |
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Vital meeting at PACE on banning conversion practicesOn 12 October, the Parliamentary Platform for the rights of LGBTI people in Europe, a group of Parliamentarians committed to protecting the rights of LGBTI people at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), held a meeting on banning conversion practices. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic presented her recent human rights comment on the issue. This was a vital meeting because it is the first time Parliamentarians had a focused discussion just on conversion practices at PACE in Strasbourg. (Image: Thomas Fuchs / CoE)
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Data collection |
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Take the survey on the needs of LBTQI girls, women and non-binary youthIGLYO and E*LC are currently carrying out research aimed at exploring the needs, challenges, and lived experiences LBTQI girls and young women, as well as non-binary and gender diverse youth between the ages of 15 and 30, residing in Europe. Completing the survey takes about 15 minutes and is entirely anonymous.
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Equality and non-discrimination |
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UN expert calls for scrapping of colonial laws and policies that marginalise LGBT personsOn 27 October, Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the United Nations’s Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity launched his report on the impact of colonialism and decolonisation for LGBT people. The vast majority of countries that have laws and policies targeting individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity have inherited these practices from the legacy of colonisation, said-he.
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UN decisions might overrule court decisions in UzbekistanA new bill is proposed in Uzbekistan to normalise the decisions of the UN treaty bodies which will serve as a ground to overrule court decisions. If this bill is adopted, LGBTI people in Uzbekistan could also use it in their advocacy for decriminalisation of consensual same-sex conduct between men in Uzbekistan. The draft law suggests that a court verdict and ruling that has entered into legal force can be cancelled and proceedings resumed in connection with a decision of the UN treaty bodies.
Read more (in Russian). |
Freedom of association |
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Kazakhstan lists new organisations as “foreign agents”On 20 September, the Ministry of Finance in Kazakhstan published a list of entities and individuals who receive international funding. The list includes over 200 organisations, companies, journalists and bloggers. Despite the attempts to pass legislation like “foreign agents” law, Kazakhstan does not have a draft law explicitly designating CSOs as “foreign agents”. Recent actions by the Kazakh authorities have been taken under the pretext of transparency.
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Kyrgyzstan’s parliament discuss a draft law on “foreign agents”On 17 October, Kyrgyzstan’s parliament held the first reading of the “foreign representatives” draft law, which would interfere with the activities of non-governmental organisations receiving funding from abroad. Two parliamentary committees approved the bill on 3 and 10 October, making the way for three readings in the plenary of parliament. In August, the Kyrgyz Parliament enacted a new law that aims to restrict freedom of expression and access to information about LGBTI people, identities, rights, and lives.
Read more. |
Health |
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Join the summer school transgender healthThe European Professional Association for Transgender Health (EPATH) organises their second summer school from 1 July to 5 July 2024, at Ghent University in Belgium. The summer school deals with the multidisciplinary approaches to the social, mental and physical well-being of transgender and gender diverse persons. For your application, you need to submit an abstract with a research proposal or a case study.
Read more and apply for the summer school. |
Notice board |
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OII Europe is looking for an Administration OfficerOII Europe is looking for a full-time Administration Officer to strengthen their team in its work towards the implementation of human rights standards for intersex people in Europe. The position is temporary for one year, with the perspective of being turned into a permanent position. The successful candidate will be tasked with all administrative aspects of OII Europe’s work.
Read more and apply before 13 November. |
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Human Rights Watch seeks a Director for LGBT Rights ProgramHuman Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking a human rights professional to lead its LGBT Rights Program, one of HRW’s eight thematic research and advocacy programs. The successful candidate will be a strategic leader with deep knowledge and experience working on a diverse range of human rights issues related to LGBT rights. The position will be based in any of HRW’s global offices.
Read more and apply before 12 November. |
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The Solidarity Fund is now open for Black feminist movementsThe Black Feminist Fund opened a new application window for funding for Black feminist groups in the Americas, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. The Black Feminist Fund resources registered and non-registered groups that are at the forefront of Black feminist resistance, who are building Black feminist joy, creativity, alternatives and futures, and who strengthen the Black feminist movement architecture and infrastructure in their communities and transnationally.
Read more and apply by 9 November. |
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New grant opportunity for lesbian activismEuroCentralAsian Lesbian* Community (EL*C) launched a new call for proposals for the registered member organisations of the EL*C within the European Union. The projects should contribute to strengthening the capacity on LBTIQ community members or advocacy or involvement in policy and decision-making processes or awareness raising about the LBTIQ community.
Read more and apply before 1 December. |
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The European Institute for Gender Equality is looking for a researcher and an officerThe European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) published two vacancies for a Researcher on Gender Based Violence and a Gender Mainstreaming Officer. Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, EIGE is a decentralised agency of the European Union entrusted with specific objectives envisaged to contribute and strengthen the promotion of gender equality. You can apply for the position of the Researcher until 20 November and for the position of the Gender Mainstreaming Officer until 23 November.
Read more. |
