Gender Equality Minister Yuriko Backes has pledged to counter global regression on LGBTQIA+ rights as Luxembourg advances its revised National Action Plan.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity hosted a pivotal symposium on Monday in Kirchberg to inform Luxembourg's revised National Action Plan for LGBTQIA+ rights.
Approximately 120 participants attended the event, which addressed critical issues ranging from education and healthcare to civic participation and cultural inclusion, in line with the coalition agreement's summer revision timeline.
Fourteen working groups examined specific policy areas during the session. Discussions covered pressing concerns such as safeguarding intersex children from non-consensual medical interventions, improving healthcare access, combating discrimination in sports and education, and enhancing demographic data collection for better policy making.
Tom Hecker, President of advocacy group Rosa Lëtzebuerg, characterised the symposium as particularly constructive. "We're seeing meaningful engagement across all sectors", he observed, expressing optimism about the plan's development through July and its subsequent implementation. Hecker emphasised intersex rights as a key priority, stressing the need for legal protections against unnecessary medical procedures on children born with both female and male characteristics, along with improved statistical tracking of intersex births.
The symposium also highlighted education as a key priority, a topic close to Hecker's heart. Through his drag persona "Tatta Tom" ("Aunty Tom"), Hecker regularly visits schools to promote diversity and tolerance among youth.
One working group focused specifically on foreign policy, urging Luxembourg to strengthen alliances with progressive nations amid global backsliding on LGBTQIA+ rights. "We must actively collaborate with like-minded EU partners while firmly upholding our values", the group's spokesperson emphasised. "Luxembourg should champion its progressive stance internationally."
Gender Equality Minister Yuriko Backes unequivocally endorsed this approach, citing concerning international trends affecting both women and LGBTQIA+ communities. She referenced recent domestic tensions, including heated parliamentary debates and hostile social media reactions to equality petitions. "These regressive developments demand serious attention", Backes stated. "My team and I are fully committed to reversing this backward slide. We are taking this very seriously, because this really is not a society in which we want to live and in which we want our children to grow up. This should really concern us", Backes stressed.
The minister shared that during a recent trip to the US, she was told informally that requests for Luxembourg passports have increased, particularly among members of feminist organisations and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
