On the eve of the International Day against Homophobia, the Group of Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament (ALDE) calls on EU institutions, Member States and international organizations to continue the fight against discrimination and persecution targeting LGBTI persons.

For Cecilia Malmström, the liberal European Commissioner for Home Affairs, respect for human rights, tolerance, the prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of – among other things – sexual orientation are fundamental values of the European project and must remain so.
 
"We have achieved a lot in Europe when it comes to LGTBI rights but we must all remain vigilant. We must make sure that no matter where homophobia surfaces, and no matter who utters it - it does not go unquestioned."

EU law prohibits discrimination in the workplace on the grounds of sexual orientation, and a proposal to extend the protection to other areas such as education, social security, healthcare, access to goods and services, housing etc is already approved by Parliament. ALDE reiterates its call to the EU Presidency and Member States to adopt the proposal without further delay so that same-sex partners will be able to book a hotel room, rent an apartment or get an insurance under the same conditions as straight couples.

Free movement of same-sex couples is another ALDE-priority. The majority of Member States have introduced same sex marriage or registered partnerships and the number of countries is growing. But there are still several Member States that don’t acknowledge same-sex marriages: Poland, Italy, Malta, Latvia and Lithuania, for example.

Sophie in 't Veld (D66, Netherlands) "Family law is a national competence, and Brussels therefore cannot impose gay marriage. But Member States could at least recognize each other's laws. Recognition is of great importance for the rights of children of these couples. The European Parliament has repeatedly called for recognition of married same sex couples in Europe.Instead of being held back by a dwindling ultra conservative minority, the European Commission should show leadership and step up efforts to ensure the strict application of the free movement Directive 2004/38 so that LGBTI couples can enjoy the same rights as all other EU citizens. This includes presenting a proposal on the mutual recognition of civil status documents such as marriage certificates."

On an international level, the EU needs to ensure that third countries respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy. This includes ending persecution of LGBTI persons and abolishing the death penalty.
ALDE also asks that people fleeing persecution because of their sexual orientation or gender identity be granted asylum.

Note: the ALDE group is the only group in the European Parliament to have a specific programme, "ALDE 4 Equality", to support political action in the field of LGBTI rights, notably by participating in a number of gay pride events to provide international protection and monitoring.