Equality for lesbians and gay men- a relevant issue in EU accession process

This report, from 2001, maps the legal and social situation of lesbians and gay men in 13 candidate countries to EU accession.

Three years after the publication of the “Equality Report” on the situation of lesbians and gay men in the EU Member States, ILGA-Europe has produced the current report, “Equality for Lesbians and Gay Men – A Relevant Issue in the EU Accession Process”, with a view to filling the information gap regarding the situation for lesbians and gay men in the candidate countries. The report was produced as part of the project “Lesbian and Gay People in Candidate Countries to EU Membership”. 

All 13 accession countries are represented with individual reports: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Turkey. A further chapter presents the European Union’s legislation and policies that are relevant to the rights of lesbians and gays in the accession countries, policies which have developed very significantly in the recent past.

See also

Report

Our submission to the EC 2024 Rule of Law report

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Joint statement: Respect LGBTI+ rights in EU-Türkiye relations

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Press Release

Slovenia about to make a crucial step towards equality for LGBTIQ+ people

Today at a conference in Ljubljana, organised by Europe’s leading LGBTI organisation, ILGA-Europe, Slovenia’s State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Dan Juvan, committed to the next steps in preparing the National Strategy for the Equality of LGBTIQ+ Persons.
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Blog

EuroPride host, Malta is No’1 on our Rainbow Map, but it’s not all a pretty picture

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What we can learn from LGBTI activists against all odds

In countries where governments are pushing back on LGBTI people's rights, joining Pride events is a courageous act that carries higher risks. However, it is in their invisible, everyday work where LGBTI activists showcase their most profound courage. The LGBTI movement in Turkey, as well as in Armenia and Azerbaijan, serve as remarkable examples of resilience against all odds.
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How attacks on Pride are jeopardising Turkey’s hopes for accession to the EU

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Podcast

The Frontline: Behind The Rainbow Map: Activism in the Lowest Ranking Countries

Every year since 2009, ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map has been ranking the 49 countries that make up Europe based on the legal and policy situations of […]
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News

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Dear President of the European Commission, We are writing concerning the recent introduction of a new bill in the Hungarian Parliament to further curtail the […]
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Monitoring Pride in Turkey 2023

A month after the Turkish elections, for which the winner, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan scapegoated LGBTI people, activists and allies have been rallying at Pride marches across the country. In this blog, we present an up-to-date account of the latest events, as reported by LGBTI activists on the ground in Turkey.
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News

Romania failed to protect same-sex couples, European court rules

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Report

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Press Release

Romanian transgender man’s landmark case requesting that Romania acknowledges his UK gender recognition referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union

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Bulgaria’s Supreme Court Rejects Baby Sara’s Bulgarian Citizenship

Arguing that Baby Sara is not a Bulgarian citizen, the country’s Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) said that their decision not to grant a birth certificate […]
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European Court rules against Lithuania labelling LGBTI-inclusive fairytale book harmful to children

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News

After Polish Case, CJEU Rules to Protect Self-employed Workers based on Sexual Orientation

In December 2017, a self-employed worker and his partner published a music video on YouTube aimed at promoting tolerance towards same-sex couples. Shortly after the […]
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Blog

#IESofia2022: Daily Report, Saturday October 22

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News

Annual Conference 2023: Location Announcement

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Blog

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Meet Denitsa from the Bulgarian organisation Deystvie, co-host of our Annual Conference

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Blog

Meet Lilly from Bilitis in Sofia, co-host of ILGA-Europe’s Annual Conference

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Blog

Activists on Accession to the EU

Although achieving EU membership can take several years, even decades, the accession process can already have a positive impact in LGBTI people in a candidate country. We speak to activists in the latest candidates, Ukraine and Moldova, and from Montenegro, which has been a candidate since 2010.
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Podcast

The Frontline: LGBTI Equality and Accession to The EU

In this two-part episode of The Frontline podcast, presented by Belinda Dear, we’re looking at the new wave of accession to the European Union and […]
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News

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News

Theme for the ILGA-Europe 2022 Conference Announced.

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Rainbow families have the right to move and reside freely, EU court reiterates

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News

Hungary to be Brought Before Top EU Court For its Ban on LGBTI Content

The European Commission has referred Hungary to the CJEU over discriminatory amendments adopted in June 2021, which ban the “portrayal and the promotion of gender […]
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