On the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) the European Commission published the Final report on List of Actions to Advance LGBTI Equality 2015-2019.

In December 2015, the Commission presented the ‘List of actions to advance LGBTI equality’ to the Council and the European Parliament. This was its response to a European Parliament resolution and a joint call from Member States to step up efforts to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In its conclusions on LGBTI equality in June 2016, the Council called on the Commission to report on the implementation of the list of actions every year. This fourth and final report summarises the measures taken by the Commission in 2019. It reflects on the original list of actions and covers advancements made at the level of the Member States. In addition, a more extensive concluding section is included that looks back at the progress made over the four years during which the Commission implemented the list of actions.

The EU Fundamental Rights Agency has published the results of its survey on hate crime and discrimination against LGBTI people. This report presents select findings from FRA’s 2019 survey on LGBTI people in the EU and North Macedonia and Serbia. With almost 140,000 participants, it is the largest survey of its kind. It follows the agency’s first survey on LGBT people in the EU, conducted in 2012. The new survey results show little progress over the past seven years. The results also show that LGBTI people across the EU – and beyond – believe that law and policy, as well as behaviour by politicians, public figures, community leaders and civil society, greatly affect their lives. By presenting key findings from its second survey, FRA aims to encourage policy- and decision-makers to step up their efforts to promote full respect for the rights of LGBTI people.

Commissioner Helena Dalli also held an online dialogue on 15 May to discuss measures taken by the EU to counter the impact of the coronavirus on the LGBTI+ community, such as the situation caused by children in lockdown with homophobic parents. The Commissioner explained that the Commission has been very active in this field, alongside parliamentarians, NGOs and individuals. It will soon present its first strategy based on the experience had during the crisis. Commissioner Dalli also said that since some people suffer from different discriminations, this new strategy will provide an intersectional approach to make sure that it addresses multiple realities.

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