ILGA-Europe, an independent NGO umbrella organisation bringing together nearly 600 organisations from 54 countries including Cyprus in defence of LGBTI rights, is asking MEP candidates to sign a ComeOut pledge publicly, committing them to:

  • Strengthening protection in EU law and policy
  • Ensuring an enabling environment for LGBTI human rights defenders
  • Ensuring EU leadership on LGBTI rights
  • Harnessing the power of their position
  • Being an ally to under-represented voices

At a recent event in Strasbourg, candidates from all major EU political parties (EPP, S&D, ALDE, GUE/NGL, Greens-EFA) were the first to officially sign.

“While the legal and policy situation for LGBTI people has progressed in some areas of Europe, backlash and backsliding have occurred in others – largely as a result of stagnation» commented ILGA-Europe’s Executive Director Evelyne Paradis.

«We urgently call on candidates for the European Parliament to step up against the current threatening wave of populism and extremism, and make a commitment to protecting, supporting and empowering the citizens they represent, and their fundamental rights.”.

Edited by Bouli Hadjioannou