ILGA-Europe
	Our Executive Director Evelyne Paradis talks about LGBTI activism now We published the second of three interviews with ILGA-Europe’s Executive Director, Evelyne Paradis as she departs the organisation. As she gets ready to hand over the reins to our new Executive Director, in this episode of The Frontline, Evelyne talks about how the LGBTI movement in Europe and Central Asia has evolved over her time leading ILGA-Europe, and how ILGA-Europe’s work to build and enhance the movement has evolved and grown too. Listen to the podcast episode on your preferred platform.
	New report on the experiences of bi+ community in Europe In the seventh of our series of Intersections reports, deep-diving into the data from the European Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) 2019 LGBTI Survey II, we have collaborated with Bi+ Nederland, to further understand the challenges faced by bisexual people. The briefing summarises the findings of data analysis disaggregating the responses of bisexual people from the responses provided by all LGBTI respondents to the 2019 FRA LGBTI Survey II, in order to show the differences in their lived experiences compared to the overall community. Read more and download your own copy of the report.
	Opportunity to join our team as a Communications and Media Officer We’re looking for a bright, smart, enthusiastic person who is passionate about communications, media and LGBTI equality to join our team. The Communications and Media Officer will be responsible for ensuring a high profile for the organisation and current issues for LGBTI people with key European stakeholders and for developing content about ILGA-Europe’s work and strategic issues for the European LGBTI movement. Read more and apply before 6 November. To the top
Asylum
	New online module on LGBTI persons in the asylum procedure for legal professionals The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Unit and the Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) of the Council of Europe together with LGBTI civil society organisations, including ILGA-Europe, has been working on developing interactive and comprehensive online HELP module on LGBTI Persons in the Asylum Procedure. The module that aims to increase the capacity of legal professionals dealing with asylum claims based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and sex characteristics is now available on the Council of Europe HELP online platform. Access the online module. To the top
Bias-motivated violence
	Attacks during the EuroPride events in Malta On 4 September, shortly before the official opening ceremony of EuroPride, hosted this year by the Maltese city of Valletta, a poster advertising one of the events was vandalised in Castille Square. A few days into the celebrations, in the hours after the second annual Gozo Pride parade on 9 September, a group of queer people faced verbal harassment on their way to a local bar. The situation escalated and one of the people in the group was physically assaulted. (Photo: Lovin Malta) Read more.
	Attacker convicted to 2 years in prison for the attack against an LGBTI activist in North Macedonia On 5 September, a Basic Criminal Court North Macedonia issued a judgement which convicted the attacker of LGBTI activist Bekim Asani to 2 years in prison for the violent attack perpetrated against him in Skopje in August 2022. The court applied the aggravating ground of sexual orientation of the criminal code, and marks a step towards better implementation of laws protecting LGBTI people. ILGA-Europe call for North Macedonia to continue to uphold the rule of law by continuing to implement its hate crime law correctly, and to start properly implementing its hate speech law by convicting cases of hate speech against LGBTI people and human rights defenders. Read more about judgment.
	Significant European Court judgments concerning violence against LGBTI people involving state agents On 12 September, the European Court of Human Rights issued judgments in the cases in Romanov and Others v Russia and Lapunov v Russia. Romanov and Others v Russia concerned Russia’s failure to prevent and protect LGBTI community members from homophobic violence during peaceful demonstrations and ensure effective investigation. The applicant in Lapunov v Russia was one of the victims of the “anti-gay purges” that took place in Chechnya in 2016-2017, having been detained and tortured in March 2017. According to ILGA-Europe’s Head of Litigation, Arpi Avetisyan, “These cases are of great significance for the recognition of the rights of LGBTI people that have suffered by inaction or actual infliction of violence by state agents”. Read more. To the top
Equality and non discrimination
	Open letter to the European Parliament about “Prostitution Report” On 5 September, the European Coalition on Sex Workers’ Rights and Inclusion wrote an open letter to Members of the European Parliament to reject and to vote against the report Regulation of prostitution in the EU: its cross-border implications and impact on gender equality and women’s rights, 2022/2139(INI). The report calls on the EU to criminalise some aspects of sex work that further compromises vulnerable groups, increasing their risks of violence. On 14 September, the report was voted on and passed as a full-fledged resolution. However, significantly more MEPs voted against or abstained than voting in favour of the report. Read more on our open letter.
	New position paper on sex work from the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls On 24 September, the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls adopted a position paper on eliminating discrimination against sex workers and securing their human rights. The position paper is informed by the views of sex workers, aims to raise the visibility of violations of sex workers’ human rights under different policy regimes, to clarify and re-affirm international human rights standards and to make recommendations for States and other stakeholders, to further realise the human rights of sex workers. The WGDAWG proposes full decriminalisation of adult voluntary sex work from a human rights perspective, as it holds the greatest promise to address systemic discrimination and violence and the impunity for the violations of sex workers’ rights. Read more.
	“Stop facial recognition surveillance now” On 26 September, 180 civil society groups, including ILGA-Europe, shared a statement calling on governments to stop the use of facial recognition surveillance by police, authorities and private companies. In summer 2023, the European Parliament adopted a position which would ban the majority of such practices. However, EU governments are pushing back in the final negotiations on the AI Act, claiming that we need these systems for safety and security. Read the statement.
	New report on the economic cost of exclusion in North Macedonia and Serbia On 26 September, the World Bank published two reports about the economic cost of exclusion based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics: one about North Macedonia and another about Serbia. These are the first two reports in a series of studies providing new data on key labour market indicators for LGBTI people and their experiences of labour market discrimination and exclusion, along with an estimate of the resulting economic impact. Read more and download your own copies of the reports. To the top
Family
	ECHR: Bulgaria must recognise same-sex relationships On 4 September, the European Court of Human Rights made a judgment establishing a clear obligation on Bulgaria to provide a legal framework for recognition of same-sex families under Article 8. The judgment of Koilova and Babulkova v. Bulgaria confirms judgment in the Fedobova case confirming the positive obligation on all CoE Member states to ensure same-sex families have means for recognition, and that arguments of protection of public interest do not justify non-recognition. (Photo: Deystvie) Read more. To the top
Notice board
	New guide for journalist on trans- and non-binary-informed journalism Transgender Europe (TGEU) published a new guide for journalists, editors and content creators on inclusive, trans- and non-binary-informed journalism and representation. The guide brings together recommendations and knowledge from other publications and guidelines by civil organisations and associations. The perspectives of local trans activists and organisations are included to represent the voices of the community. It includes a quick checklist, practical guide, information about key themes of trans rights, and a list of myths on trans issues. Read more and download your own copy of the report.
	ILGA World has job vacancies ILGA World is hiring for three positions: Senior Logistics Officer, Audit and Reporting Assistant, and Pathways Regional Officer. The Senior Logistics Officer to support the Operations team and its Manager with events production, logistics and administrative tasks. The Audit and Reporting Assistant will work on the preparation and delivery of the Audit as well as on regular reporting for grants, programmes and the Board. The Pathways Regional Officer will support a new global resource mobilisation project, “LGBTI Pathways.” Read more and send your applications.
	EIGE is looking for a national expert for stakeholder relations The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) invites applications with a view to establishing a reserve list for the post of Seconded National Expert (SNE) – Stakeholder Relations. The SNE will support the Institute’s stakeholder engagement and outreach activities, and present EIGE’s findings in relevant working groups or committees of the European Commission and the European Parliament. Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, EIGE is a decentralised agency of the European Union on the promotion of gender equality. Read more and apply before 23 October.
	IGLYO is discussing queer identity, socio-economic background, and employability On 26 October, IGLYO is holding a webinar on “Queer Identity, Socio-Economic Background, and Employability” with an aim to provide practical guidance and support, focusing on enhancing the LGBTQI youth’s employability skills and empowering them to overcome unique challenges in the job market. It will address the specific challenges encountered by queer youth from working-class backgrounds in their pursuit of employability. Read more and register for the webinar.