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No. 200, April 2012 - in this issue...

ILGA-EUROPE

EUROPE

EDUCATION

FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

HATE & VIOLENCE

NOTICE BOARD


ILGA-EUROPE

Make your experience count! - The first ever European Union LGBT Survey launched

The first ever EU-wide (including Croatia) online LGBT Survey has been launched. ILGA-Europe encourages all individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans to take part in this important Survey.
Read more about the survey here

Evelyne Paradis elected to the Advisory Panel of the Fundamental Rights Platform

ILGA-Europe's Executive Director, Evelyne Paradis, was elected together with five other new members to the Advisory Panel 2012-2013 of the Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP). The election took place during the fifth FRP meeting on 20 April 2012.
Read more about the new Advisory Panel here

Joint statement: Structural funds threat to anti-discrimination in the EU

The Danish Presidency of the European Union has put forward a compromise text on ex-ante conditionalities that removes the general conditionalities dealing with non-discrimination, gender equality,and disability. These ex-ante conditionalities are necessary to remain coherent with the EU Treaties and legal framework.
Read the reaction from a coalition of NGOs here

IDAHO 2012: Launch of Annual Review 2011 and updated Rainbow Europe Map and Index

On 15 May 2012, ILGA-Europe will launch the very first Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex People in Europe 2011. The launch event in Brussels will be attended by following key note speakers Cecilia Malmström, EU Home Affairs Commissioner; Heather Grabbe, Director of the Open Society Institute Brussels and Jan Jarab, Regional Representative – UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Moreover ILGA-Europe will also publish updated Rainbow Europe Map and Index (May 2012).
Read more about the Annual Review here

EUROPE

European Parliament adopts 2012 accession reports

On Thursday 29 March the European Parliament adopted its annual enlargement progress reports for Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. All resolutions require more progress in the field of LGBT rights.
Read more about the adoption on the website of the European Parliament's Intergroup on LGBT Rights

Human rights in the world: European Parliament zooms in on LGBT rights

The European Parliament adopted its annual report on human rights in the world, paying close attention to EU action for the human rights of LGBT people. The report also comments on a range of new measures, including the creation of an EU Special Representative on Human Rights.
Read more about the adoption on the website of the European Parliament's Intergroup on LGBT Rights

Developments at the spring session of the Assembly of the Council of Europe

The Assembly's Equality and Non-Discrimination Committee conducted a hearing on the rights of LGBT people, which was addressed by the newly appointed General Rapporteur, Håkon Haugli of Norway, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, ILGA-Europe's Executive Director, and a member of the UK's Permanent Representation.
Read more about the developments at the PACE here

'Further action is clearly needed on the Europe 2020 targets and member states must take their commitments seriously' Herman van Rompuy

On April 26, Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council addressed the General Assembly of the Social Platform on ‘implementing EU social objectives to ensure an inclusive and sustainable recovery’.
Read about the General Assembly of the Social Platform here

Check out events and initiatives for IDAHO 2012

The 17 May is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The IDAHO Committee is gathering information about events and initiatives around the world, and this year they have a focus on the homo/trans-phobic bullying in education environments.
Read more about about the theme and initiatives on the website of the IDAHO Committee

3rd regional network meeting will be held in Zagreb

First and second regional network meetings took place in Ankara in 2011 and 2012 by Kaos GL. Now the third meeting will be hosted in Croatia during the 10th Queer Zagreb Festival on April 23-30. 

CEDAW Shadow Report: LBT Women in Georgia

Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group (WISG) announced the release of a new publication: LBT Women in Georgia – CEDAW shadow report.

EDUCATION

Review on homophobic bullying in schools from UNESCO

UNESCO has published a review on homophobic bullying in schools. The review will be used as a guide during the development of the forthcoming UNESCO publication tentatively titled Good Policy and Practice: Addressing Homophobic Bullying in Educational Institutions. This publication will be launched on 16 May 2012 and it will be used in UNESCO advocacy efforts and also to support interventions at country level.
Read the review from UNESCO here

FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY

Budapest Pride is taking place after annulment of ban

The Budapest Police firstly banned the Pride event, however soon after the Budapest Metropolitan Court then annulled the police decision. Budapest Pride 2012 is planned to take place on 7 July.
Read more about the obstruction of Budapest Pride here

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Moscow city parliament considers to adopt law banning propaganda of "all sexual relations" among minors

Moscow city parliament deputies are planning to develop a city law prohibiting "propaganda of sexual relationships among minors," the parliament's speaker Vladimir Platonov said to Interfax news agency. 

Two protesters arrested for “propaganda of sodomy and lesbianism” in St Petersburg

During a picket dedicated to the Day of Silence, two protesters were arrested for “propaganda of sodomy and lesbianism”. This is the first time the authorities in St Petersburg are enforcing the newly homophobic adopted 'propaganda' law.
Read more about the arrest on the website of Coming Out

Riga City Council will decide on propaganda ban

Riga City Council informs that the city’s Safety, Public Order and Corruption Prevention Issues Committee has submitted a proposal to the city council to ban the propaganda of homosexualism [sic] in the administrative territory of Riga.

EU statement on tolerance and non-discrimination in Moldova

At the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe the 27 EU member states joined in a statement on Moldova expressing concern at the decision of the local councils to prohibit “aggressive propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientations”. Nine other Council of Europe member states supported the statement, making three quarters of Council of Europe member states in all.
Read the statement here

HATE & VIOLENCE

Homophobic adverts pulled from bus campaign by the Mayor of London

Just days before the homophobic posters were due to appear on buses in London, Mayor Boris Johnson ordered his transport chiefs to pull the adverts booked by two conservative Anglican groups following outrage among LGBT activists and politicians saying that they were homophobic. 
Read more about the homophobic bus adverts here

Conference on how to improve hate crime monitoring in Europe

On 17-19 April organisations within the project Finding Facts met in Brussels to develop operational guidelines for better monitoring, prevention and tackling of hate incidents in their countries. The lack of consistent and comparable data has impeded governments’ ability to respond to the growing threat of hate crimes in Europe, according to expert reports.
Read more about the conference here

Trans woman in Turkey attacked

A transgender woman was beaten up by seven men outside her home in Istanbul when she took her dog out for a walk.

NOTICE BOARD

Call for papers: The human face of the European Union: Humane enough? 

Call for papers that examine this balance in the development and state-of-affairs of the key EU policy fields that affect people's lives and are object of criticism, including: Economic regulation;  Labour and employment law; Free movement, citizenship, and third-country nationals; Social benefits and social security; Discrimination law and minorities; European private law; Criminal justice; Asylum and refugees; Security and defence; Neighbourhood and external policies. Note deadline Friday 11 May 2012.
Read more about the conference and call for papers here

Job oppotunities at IPPF: External Relations Director and Programmes & Technical Director

IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation) is recruiting two new posts – External Relations Director and Programmes & Technical Director. Closing date for applications Friday 11 May 2012.
Click to download the Candidate brief here

 


ILGA-Europe Rainbow Digest is published by ILGA-Europe - the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans & Intersex Association
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ISSN 1998-8117
Editor: Mehmet Akin
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This publication has been produced with the financial support of the Rights Equality and Citizenship (REC) programme 2014-2020 of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of ILGA-Europe and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission.



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