Tell European Leaders: Stand up for LGBT Rights
Last month, thousands of homophobic counter-protesters brutally attacked Pride events around the European Union. These attacks were simply the latest in a growing series of anti-gay actions in the last few years. But when politicians fail to acknowledge LGBT rights on a national level, homophobic violence cannot be far behind.
In a recent statement, European Council Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg stated that "Governments need to pursue legislative reforms and social change to enable LGBT persons to fully enjoy universally recognized human rights."
He continued by listing the action steps that European politicians could take in order to implement these reforms, including addressing homophobia in the workplace, anti-gay bullying in schools, and legally recognizing trangender persons' preferred genders.
European countries must take genuine steps to grant equal rights to their LGBT citizens. Call on European leaders to take action today!
With the recent upsurge of anti-gay hate crimes in Europe in the last decade, Europe's LGBT citizens have begun to increase their demands for civil recognition from their countries. I am writing to support implementation of these demands.
European Council Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg recently published a statement saying that European countries must address homophobia in the workplace, anti-gay bullying in schools, and the difficulties transgender persons face when attempting to legally verify their preferred gender.
True equality cannot be achieved until all citizens are equally protected under the law. I strongly urge you to work toward making Hammarberg's proposed changes in your country's legislation.
