The Congress of the Council of Europe adopted two resolutions protecting the LGBTI community from discrimination and hatred at its 40th Session on Wednesday.
The resolutions followed two independent reports–a report that drew attention to the situation of the LGBTI community, claiming that the rights of LGBTI persons were increasingly being politicized and challenged through contestation of their recognition and identity in various parts of Europe, and another report following the November 2020 fact-finding mission to Poland, which drew attention to increasing attacks against LGBTI people in Poland.
The first resolution, titled the “Protection of LGBTI people in the context of rising anti-LGBTI hate speech and discrimination: the role of local and regional authorities,” calls on member states of the Council of Europe to mainstream LGBTI equality through policy measures, introduce legislative instruments forbidding hate speech and discrimination against LGBTI people, to monitor policy responses through data collection and to implement recommendations, resolutions and judgments of all the Council of Europe bodies.
The second resolution, titled “The role of local authorities with regard to the situation and rights of LGBTI people in Poland,” calls on Poland to withdraw all declarations and resolutions, such as the Local government Charters of the Rights of the Family, which were passed by various local and regional authorities in Poland declaring that such authorities were opposed to the “LGBT ideology.” The resolution has also called on Poland to ensure that LGBTI people, being a vulnerable group, are protected keeping in mind the deleterious impact that hate speech and discrimination can have on their lives.
Highlighting the need for and timing of the resolutions, especially when Hungary passed a law prohibiting discussion about gender identity and sexual orientation, the President of the Congress of Council of Europe, Leendert Verbeek, stated:
The rising anti-LGBTI hate speech and discrimination is one of [the reasons behind the resolutions] and it is indeed very worrying to learn about the legislation passed by the Hungarian parliament yesterday, particularly at a time when Hungary presides over the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
