The 10th edition of the ILGA-Europe’s Annual Review details the human rights situation of LGBTI+ people across the 49 European countries, and five countries in Central Asia.

The ILGA 2020 Review has highlighted a number of key issues still experienced by the LGBTI+ community.

Last year was a year of positive developments for rainbow families in the region, with an expansion of family rights in a few countries; and important advancements continue to be made on reforming or establishing legal gender recognition procedures, even if in many countries progress is slowing down.

According to the Executive Director of ILGA-Europe, Evelyne Paradis: “It is not all bad news. The issue of bodily integrity for intersex people continues to gain more prominence on the political agenda of governments and institutions.

However, the lived reality of LGBTI+ people in many parts of Europe and Central Asia is increasingly difficult and for a large part remains invisible, even to organisations like ILGA-Europe. Action is needed.

Governments still have so much to do, from adopting laws that guarantee the protection of people’s rights and giving public authorities the means to translate policy into practice across sectors, to leading by example in having a discourse promoting social acceptance and inclusion.”

“By making people aware of such a broad and nuanced picture, which is constantly shifting and evolving, the ILGA-Europe Annual Review aims to give a sense of the enormity of issues and areas that affect the lives of people, which will continue to require attention, especially in a context where LGBTQ people are being targeted and vulnerability is heightened.”

Evelyne Paradis, ILGA-Europe’s Executive Director

In their annual review of the situation of LGBTI+ people in Portugal, they highlight “the Portuguese parliament adopted a law banning non-consensual surgeries on intersex children and is now the second country worldwide to outlaw medically unnecessary treatments on intersex kids.”

Concerning the legal gender recognition field, ILGA-Europe adds that: “On 12 July, Portugal became the sixth country in Europe to establish a legal gender recognition procedure based on self-determination. Trans people will no longer need to be diagnosed with gender identity disorder in order to have their gender legally recognised.”

Trans people will no longer need to be diagnosed with gender identity disorder in order to have their gender legally recognised.

In its annual review, the group warns that while progress for LGBTI+ people in Europe “paints an image of the region as a leading light” for rights and equality, these developments are “a surface impression that does not tell a complete or accurate story”.

The report’s findings paint “a complex picture that diverges from the widespread narrative that all is well for LGBTI+ people in large parts of Europe”.

The review focuses on a number of key issues facing Portugal’s LGBTI+ community in terms of sex education, hate speech, equality for LGBTI+ families, sexual health and LGBTI+ inclusion strategy.

Read the full annual review for Portugal here.

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Photo by Josè Maria Sava on Unsplash
Photo by Delia Giandeini on Unsplash