The aim of the day is to raise awareness of rights violations committed against members of the LGBTQI community.
Marc Angel, co-president of the European Parliament's LGBTI Intergroup, spoke to our colleagues from RTL and emphasised the importance of making a stance, especially given that some EU members, such as Poland and Hungary, are currently rolling back on human rights policies.
He further underlined that back in March, parliament declared the EU to be a "LGBTI Freedom Zone".
MEP Angel noted: "On 17 May 1990, the World Health Organisation officially removed homosexuality from the international list of diseases. Today, we commemorate IDAHOBIT, a refined version of the former day against homophobia. We now also think about trans and intersex people, which means that we are much more inclusive."
In light of the rising anti-LGBTQI movements in some EU member states, MEP Angel stressed that it was not a question of ideology, but rather of human rights: "This is what we usually hear from the voices in the Polish or Hungarian governments, that we are only adhering to an ideology. No, it is a matter of identity. Those who commit hate crimes are in fact the ones to have a choice. We now have to raise awareness of violence and hate speech against the community, which are continuously increasing in Europe."
The EU commission is currently considering including these crimes into its official register. Other projects envision a universal recognition of official documents, such as those of same-sex parents, or the prohibition of genital mutilation of intersex babies.
Operations that are not essential for survival should be prohibited, MEP Angel argued: "We still lack these laws in Luxembourg, and I hope that we can soon make up for this neglect."
Nevertheless, the politician believes that the Grand Duchy is on the right path, especially since it was recently recognised as the third leading EU nation in terms of LGBTQI rights.
Over the past twelve months, the non-profit organisation "Rosa Lëtzebuerg" has identified a stagnation in the process, as a press release revealed on Monday morning. Officials hope that there will soon be an official recognition of non-binary people, meaning that they neither identify as male nor female.
In light of IDAHOBIT, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel took to social media to remind people that his eight-year-long relationship with Gauthier Destenay, as well as their marriage, would still be prohibited in over 65 countries and even constitutes a crime in others.
