Equality for lesbians and gay men- a relevant issue in EU accession process

This report, from 2001, maps the legal and social situation of lesbians and gay men in 13 candidate countries to EU accession.

Three years after the publication of the “Equality Report” on the situation of lesbians and gay men in the EU Member States, ILGA-Europe has produced the current report, “Equality for Lesbians and Gay Men – A Relevant Issue in the EU Accession Process”, with a view to filling the information gap regarding the situation for lesbians and gay men in the candidate countries. The report was produced as part of the project “Lesbian and Gay People in Candidate Countries to EU Membership”. 

All 13 accession countries are represented with individual reports: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Turkey. A further chapter presents the European Union’s legislation and policies that are relevant to the rights of lesbians and gays in the accession countries, policies which have developed very significantly in the recent past.

See also

Blog

The ILGA-Europe Annual Conference 2025 in Pictures

For four days in Vilnius, our photographer was there to capture every memorable moment of this year’s Annual Conference. Here are the highlights! This October, […]
read more
Press Release

From Courtrooms to Parliament: Lithuania Faces a Defining Moment for Family Equality

Lithuania is entering a decisive phase in the recognition and protection of diverse families. Following landmark judicial rulings, civil partnership is now firmly on the […]
read more
News

Joint open letter on new Constitutional amendments adopted in Slovakia

Along with 56 civil society organisations, we have co-signed a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath […]
read more
News

Our letter to von der Leyen on freedom of assembly in hungary

Last week, on september 23, we sent this letter to President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, alongside Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and […]
read more
Blog

Enes Hocaoğulları defends free expression as trial highlights crackdown on human rights in Turkey

On 8 September, the courtroom in Ankara was filled to capacity. Representatives from civil society, political parties, and parliamentarians came to observe the trial of […]
read more
Blog

Turkey’s war on free expression and the courage of Enes Hocaoğulları

By jailing a youth delegate for speaking at the Council of Europe about police violence, Turkish authorities have shown how far they will go to […]
read more
Blog

No borders, just beats: Temple Of’s sonic rebellion

Built by queer immigrants reclaiming joy and cultural memory, Temple Of is a collective transforming resistance into celebration through sound and care. “We are a […]
read more
Blog

Hungary assembly act timeline

read more
Blog

The ILGA-Europe Turkey Pride Monitor

For three years now, ILGA-Europe has been closely following the escalating repression of LGBTI Pride events in Turkey. Each summer, courageous activists across the country […]
read more
News

Joint statement welcoming European court’s ruling against Poland over anti-gay hate crime

The European Court of Human Rights has issued a judgement against Poland for failing to properly investigate and prosecute a homophobic attack against a gay […]
read more
News

Together in Pride, Together in Protest

Joint Statement by the European Trade Union Confederation and ILGA-Europe The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and ILGA-Europe stand united in defending the rights and […]
read more
News

Budapest Pride Could Have Been Legal and Safe. The European Commission Chose Otherwise.

By refusing to act, the European Commission enabled the ban and left activists alone to defend fundamental rights. A joint declaration by ILGA-Europe, Forbidden Colours, […]
read more
Blog

Against the odds: progress for LGBTI rights in Europe

While setbacks for LgbtI rights have dominated the headlines from this year’s Rainbow Map, a quieter story of resilience and progress is unfolding. In the […]
read more
Blog

Not Just Pride in Hungary: More from this year’s Rainbow Map

While the UK, Hungary and Georgia captured the negative spotlight on this year’s Rainbow Map, deeper changes are reshaping the LGBTI rights landscape across Europe.  […]
read more
Press Release

European Court rules Czech Republic violated trans rights with forced sterilisation

In a pivotal judgment delivered today, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has found that the Czech Republic violates the rights of trans people […]
read more
Press Release

Pride Ban Must Not Go Ahead as EU Advocate General Confirms Hungary’s ‘Child Protection Law’ Breaches EU Law

In a major development, Advocate General of Europe’s top court has issued an opinion considering Hungary’s anti-LGBTI legislation to be in breach of EU law, […]
read more
Press Release

Press release: Turkey poised to further roll back LGBTI rights amid ongoing democratic crackdown

As democracy continues to come under attack in Turkey, a draft law moving through parliament threatens to impose harsh criminal measures targeting LGBTI people A […]
read more
Report

EU Enlargement Review 2025

ILGA-Europe and ERA launched our joint LGBTI Enlargement Review assessing gaps in legislation and policy for the human rights of LGBTI people in the enlargement […]
read more
News

What the CJEU AG’s Opinion in the infringement case against Hungary means for LGBTI equality in the EU

The CJEU Advocate General has just delivered her Opinion in the Commission v Hungary “EU values” infringement case (C-769/22) – a major CJEU case on […]
read more
News

Joint Statement: CJEU to rule on landmark case regarding ban on legal gender recognition in Bulgaria

The European Court of Justice has held a pivotal hearing in the Shipov case, challenging Bulgaria’s de facto ban on legal gender recognition and whether […]
read more
Blog

Banning Pride is a fundamental threat to democracy: Why the EU cannot look away from Hungary

As Hungary becomes the first EU country to ban and criminalise a Pride march, the European Commission’s failure to respond signals a deeper crisis for […]
read more
Press Release

Press release: UK joins Hungary and Georgia With the Biggest Drops on Annual LGBTI Rights Ranking

The UK has dropped six places in ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map, as Hungary and Georgia also register steep falls following anti-LGBTI legislation. The data highlights how […]
read more
News

Joint letter: Urgent European Commission action needed to defend the Fundamental Right to Freedom of Assembly in Hungary

The following letter was sent to President Ursula von der Leyen, Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, Commissioner Michael McGrath, and Commissioner Hadja Lahbib of the European […]
read more
News

CJEU Advocate General: Member States Must Recognise Same-Sex Marriages from Other EU Countries

An opinion from the EU Court of Justice’s Advocate General states that Member States must recognise same-sex marriages performed in other EU countries to ensure […]
read more
Blog

Freedom to Protest Is Under Attack – Why It Matters for Everyone

When states suppress public protests, they don’t just target activists, they erode the rights of all citizens. The latest crackdowns in Hungary, Turkey, and beyond […]
read more
News

Hungary’s Parliament Passes Law Banning Pride

In an attack on freedom of assembly, Hungary’s Parliament has passed a controversial law criminalising Pride marches and allowing the use of facial recognition technology […]
read more
News

Joint statement welcoming EU’s top court judgment to correct a trans man’s gender identity data in national registry

Today, the European Court of Justice (CJEU) issued a judgment in the case of Deldits (C-247/23), stating that national authorities responsible for keeping public registers […]
read more
News

Statement: Orbán’s threat to ban LGBTI Pride marks a dangerous step toward silencing dissent

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s threat to ban the 2025 Budapest Pride march has sparked outrage, with concerns over restrictions linked to the country’s anti-LGBTI […]
read more
News

European court rules teacher’s dismissal over gay blog violated free speech

The European Court of Human Rights rendered a judgement in a case where the Polish authorities fired a school teacher for writing on a blog […]
read more
News

ILGA-Europe Statement: Turkey is detaining LGBTI+ activists and journalists, and targeting basic rights

The Turkish government has intensified its repression of LGBTI+ human rights defenders, detaining activists and introducing draconian laws that further restrict legal gender recognition, trans […]
read more