European Commission launches campaign to raise awareness and increase social acceptance of #LGBTI people

The Commission is putting forward a 'List of actions to advance LGBTI equality' for 2016-2019 to combat Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-gender and Intersex (LGBTI) discrimination, which includes communication and awareness-raising activities to improve the social acceptance of this group.

The Commission's list of actions is supported by the Council who adopted Council Conclusions on LGBTI Equality for the first time in this policy field in June 2016.

Commissioner Jourová said: "With increasing levels of discrimination, politicians need to be more vocal to protect the rights of more vulnerable groups in society. Our campaign should help improve fairness, social acceptance and equal rights for LGBTI people in Europe, and will involve stakeholders at all levels from NGOs, national authorities, to the media."

On Saturday (6 August), as part of the campaign, Commissioner Jourová participated in the 2016 Europride in Amsterdam, where she met Randy Berry, US Special Envoy on LGBTI rights, and discussed LGBTI rights, particularly in the wake of tragic events such as the attack in Orlando.

Commissioner Jourová was also joined by Maltese Social Dialogue Minister Dalli, as well as Michael O’Flaherty, director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights.

The latest Eurobarometer on discrimination (2015) shows that 60% of EU citizens see discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity as widespread - a trend which has been rising since 2012; and according to the latest EU Agency for Fundamental Rights survey, one in three LGBTI people are reported to have been attacked or threatened with violence because of their sexuality. It is in this context that the Commission is launching this campaign. More information is available here.

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