The European Commission presented its first strategy on Thursday to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) equality, proposing to extend the list of EU crimes to cover hate crime and ensure that EU policymaking reflects LGBTIQ concerns.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the plan in her 2020 State of the Union Address. The proposal aims to strengthen equality and non-discrimination in the EU, noting that discrimination against LGBTIQ individuals has increased in the EU in recent years. The Commission cited survey figures showing that 43% of LGBTIQ people said they felt discriminated against last year. Further, the strategy stated that “right-wing governments in Poland and Hungary have become increasingly homophobic in the past year.” The Commission also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated discrimination against LGBTIQ people. The strategy sets out several of targeted actions that the EU will mainstream into all EU policies, legislation, and funding programs for the next five years.

The Commission stated that it would promote the use of government funding to improve the socio-economic position of LGBTIQ people and gather evidence regarding the barriers to full equality experienced in employment, education, and healthcare. Notably, the Commission stated that in 2021 it would present an initiative to extend the list of EU crimes to cover hate crime and hate speech when targeted at LGBTIQ people. The measure also seeks to ensure that the legal status of LGBTIQ relationships cannot be revoked when they cross borders.

The strategy builds upon the Commission’s List of Actions to Advance LGBTI Equality and other European Commission strategic frameworks designed to end discrimination based on race and gender. EU Commission Vice-President Vera Jouorova stated, “[w]e will defend the rights of LGBT people against those who now have more and more appetite to attack them from this ideological point of view.”