Ombudsman for Equality

The Ombudsman for Equality gave a speech at the European Parliament's LGBT Intergroup's seminar on 26 September about legislative challenges concerning the legal status of trans and intersex people.

- It is very important that EU legislation would come to include specific provisions that prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. The legal status of trans and intersex people can to a certain extent be protected through interpretations of current legislation and case law. It would, however, be a vast improvement to their legal protection, if specific prohibitions of discrimination concerning them would be included in EU law, the Ombudsman stressed.

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has launched an EU-wide LGBT survey to support equal treatment legislation and policy making, with a questionnaire that is available online and awaits the opinions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people over the age of 18 living in the European Union or Croatia. There is very little comparable data collected across the EU about the everyday experiences of LGBT people with respect of discrimination. Based on the survey results, national and European policy makers, as well as non-governmental organisations, will be able to better target their advocacy strategies and activities to support LGBT communities to live and express themselves freely in a non-discriminatory environment.

To take the survey, follow the link: www.lgbtsurvey.eu