Eastern Europe was once a world lear on gay rights. Then ran out of spegoats | CNN

Contents:

• EASTERN EUROPE WAS ONCE A WORLD LEAR ON GAY RIGHTS. THEN RAN OUT OF SPEGOATS
• EASTERN EUROPE WAS ONCE A WORLD LEAR ON GAY RIGHTS. THEN RAN OUT OF SPEGOATS

EASTERN EUROPE WAS ONCE A WORLD LEAR ON GAY RIGHTS. THEN RAN OUT OF SPEGOATS

Annual Review of the Human Rights Suatn of Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex People 2023. Today Europe, people who are lbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual or tersex (LGBTI) still suffer om discrimatn around the world. The European Unn (EU) has been a driver of equaly for lbian, gay, bisexual and trans people over the past 25 years.

Hate speech, as well as acts of homophobic and transphobic vlence rema all too mon, even untri wh signifint progrs. Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr, Queer and Intersex Youth and Stunt Organisatn (IGLYO). Wh homophobic and transphobic beg two of the most mon typ of hate speech, you n make a difference by refg to tolerate !

On this year's Internatnal Day agast Homophobia and Transphobia, Euronews Culture asss the current state of LGBTQ rights across European untri. Anti-LGBTQ vlence is here, ’s everywhere, and isn’t gog away any time soon — at least, that’s the latt asssment ma by UN Secretary-General Anton Guterr, a statement released on the eve of the Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), which the world celebrat on 17 a stgg nmnatn of endurg global anti-LGBTQ prejudice, the UN chief urged untri to end the crimalisatn and systemic opprsn of queer people. London, Berl, Stockholm and Dubl also ranked for the latt Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associatn (ILGA) report, Malta has once aga been proclaimed Europe’s bt untry for LGBTQ rights, holdg onto the Rabow Europe x’s top spot for the eighth year a Mederranean untry’s overwhelmgly Catholic populatn and nservative stance on certa social issu — namely, abortn — make an unlikely ndidate for Europe’s rabow crown.

EASTERN EUROPE WAS ONCE A WORLD LEAR ON GAY RIGHTS. THEN RAN OUT OF SPEGOATS

Over the past year, an array of European untri have taken several steps forward on var LGBT+ issu, providg some much-need enuragement to activists across the July, Swzerland legalised same-sex marriage, jog a growg list of untri that allow gay upl to tie the cisn followed a referendum held September 2021, which jt unr two-thirds of voters supported "Marriage for all, " as the new legal amendment had been may e as a surprise to some that the Alpe state — equently perceived as a bastn of high livg standards — would take so much longer than many of s neighbours to legalise same-sex marriage. Followg Swzerland’s footsteps, Slovenia also troduced gay marriage, while Croatia allowed same-sex upl to LGBTQ rights Eastern Europe often make headl for all the wrong reasons, Moldova — a eply Orthodox untry, and one of Europe’s most impoverished — has ma signifint progrs improvg ndns for s queer cizens, jumpg up 14 plac 2022’s Rabow rights have also ma signifint headway, after new laws were passed Fland and Spa that allow people to change their legal genr whout unrgog gellg medil procr and asssments. Neverthels, many human rights mpaigners and trans activists see such laws as dispensable steps to offerg further equaly and regnn to a eply disenanchised omo step-backsAs rosy a picture Europe's long list of newly acquired LGBT+ rights may pat, such advancements nnot, alas, pat over some of the wing cracks on the Visegrád stat, namely Poland and Hungary, the suatn for the queer muny leav much to be sired, as LGBTQ dividuals lack almost any legal protectns, wh few rights to Leśniara, a Polish wrer now based Glasgow, ttifi to the challengg suatn for gay people like himself back at home, while also acknowledgg burgeong signs of improvement.

"Further east and beyond EU borrs, Rsia — Europe’s "pariah" followg Vladimir Put’s vasn of Ukrae last Febary — has further expand s anti-LGBT legislatn, after an existg law banng "gay propaganda" for children was extend to all age groups last December.