European Countries Agree on Human Rights Recommendations for LGBTs

By Chantal on Thursday, April 8, 2010 - 17:32

While Europe isn’t the largest by landmass (it is only the second smallest continent), state wise it is pretty darn big.

There are 50 sovereign states, 5 partially recognized states, 1 unrecognized state and 7 non sovereign territories and regions. [Via Wikipedia]

With this variety of states comes a variety of diversity in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights. Out of the seven countries worldwide that currently have legalized same-sex marriage, five of those countries are situated in Europe: the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Norway and Sweden.

Nineteen European countries have legalized civil unions or other forms of recognition and with every year that goes by, it seems that steps are taken to further the rights of LGBT people.

And now, with the world’s first intergovernmental agreement on human rights standards for LGBT people, Europe just took a giant leap in the right direction.

On March 31 2010, the governments of forty-seven European nations adopted a recommendation for all Member States to “combat discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity”.

The main points in the agreement on Member States can improve their legislation policies and practices are focused in areas such as: hate crime and hate speech; freedom of association, expression and peaceful assembly; the right to respect for private and family life; employment; education; health; housing; sports; and the right to seek asylum.

This is an important achievement, being the first legal instrument in the world dealing specifically with one of the most long-lasting and difficult forms of discrimination to combat.
Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe [source]

Below I am going to highlight a few points of the agreement and what this will mean, the recommendation can be read in its entirety here. 

Hate crimes and other hate motivated incidents
Member States are encouraged to take appropriate measures to ensure that victims and witnesses REPORT the crimes and incidents and that law-enforcement structures, which also includes judiciary, have the knowledge and skills to identify the crimes and incidents and can provide the proper assistance to victims and witnesses.

Hate crime is for instance extremely under-reported in Bristol. Far too often victims (and witnesses) do not report what has happened to them out of fear. And it is not just the fear of being targeted again by their attacker, but for fear of misunderstanding by law-enforcement and other agencies, especially when these agencies do not have the proper knowledge and/or skills to help them.

Employment
Member States should insure that there is protection against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity in both the public and private sector and includes the prevention, combat against, and punishment of harassment and other forms of victimization and particular attention should be paid in providing effective protection of the right to privacy of transgendered individuals.

So long as you do your job properly, it shouldn’t matter if you are straight, gay, transgendered or just plain you. No more judging if you can do your job or not based on the way you look or your sexual orientation.