New updates on LGBTQIA+ rights protection.
The new rainbow map by ILGA-Europe was published on May 2024, and the results show great disparities between European countries. The map, based on legal geography data, shows that the legal EU framework might have an impact on LGBTQIA+ people’s rights. In fact, EU average of overall legal protection and rights for LGBTQIA+ people stand at 50%, whereas the European one still stands at 42%. There are many possible explanations for this: firstly, the imposed EU legal frame might have a fostering impact on national governments, or, on the other hand, countries that entered the EU in the past years were forced to adapt to a standard on human rights. However, the lowest result of the European countries might also be understood as too greatly impacted by Russia and Azerbaijan’s extremely low score. More precisely, the only category in which Russia scores more than 0% is the family one, that “looks into recognition and protection of LGBTI people’s family rights”. Overall, the completion score is 100, and Russia stand at 2%. Similarly, Azerbaijan scores 2,25% allowing for a small bettering in civil society space, as well as gender legal recognition.
It is essential to recall though, that a high score does not mean a comprehensive legal frame for LGBTQIA+ people’s rights. Indeed, for example Belgium and Denmark – respectively at 3rd and 5th positions – still do not have any specific protection against discrimination towards LGBTQIA+ people. Moreover, only 6 countries, among the ones monitored by ILGA-Europe, legally recognize trans parenthood. The overall category that scores lowest in all Europe is the bodily integrity of intersex people, a topic still widely ignored if not criminalized in many national laws.
To end up on a hopeful note, and even if it still faces great difficulties in some countries, the landscape for civil society advocating for the human rights of LGBTQIA+ people remains quite high in Europe. Indeed, the ability to hold public events, and foster civil society movements is a first step towards the achievement of equal rights and formal legalization of them.