In a report on the implementation of the EU’s Employment Equality Directive, the European parliament has called for further measures to improve the protection of LGBTI people at the work floor, and beyond.
In its report the parliament urges the EU Member States to adopt the EU horizontal anti-discrimination Directive (par. 5). With this proposed Directive, protection on the basis of sexual orientation would be extended access to goods and services, education and social protection.
Concerning transgender people, the Parliament emphasises that the scope of the Gender Equality Directive, which bans discrimination in employment on the basis of sex, should be clarified as to include transgender people (par. 67).
It also called for the review of laws and practices to prevent discrimination of intersex people (par. 69).
Furthermore, the Parliament called for further measures to tackle hate crime (par. 5), for increased efforts in awareness raising (par. 68) as well as the need to ensure the mutual recognition of public documents, including documents concerning partnership status and parenting rights (par. 69).
Ulrike Lunacek MEP, Co-President of the LGBTI Intergroup, reacted: “The EU LGBT survey found that two-thirds has experienced a negative attitude towards LGBT people at work. This leads people to a lot of self-censorship and many hide their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.”
“We need to strengthen EU action to combat this discrimination. I urgently call on the Member States of the EU to finally unlock the much needed Horizontal anti-discrimination Directive, which would protect LGBT people, also outside of employment.”
Vice-President of the LGBTI Intergroup Sirpa Pietikainen MEP added: “I am glad that the Parliament has once again called for the clear inclusion of trans and intersex people in the anti-discrimination framework. Too many states have failed to include protection for them, while discrimination is in no way less than for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.”
“It is time for Europe to set this record straight and offer all LGBTI people protection under anti-discrimination laws.”
Photo By Alina Zienowicz Ala z (Own work) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons
