Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-07-05-Speech-4-222-000"
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"en.20120705.23.4-222-000"2
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"Mr President, it is sometimes said that the issues of sexual orientation and gender identity conflict with traditional values. The EU position is very clear: no, the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex persons are not a question of different cultures or beliefs, or about introducing new rights for a group of people. They are about the same human rights being applied to every person everywhere without discrimination. The EU has repeatedly called on all states to make this a reality for everyone.
Significantly, it has actually been an African country, South Africa, which has taken the lead on the issues of sexual orientation and gender identity at the UN Human Rights Council. This dispels the myth that speaking up about sexual orientation and gender identity is somehow un-African. The EU strongly supports South Africa’s leadership on this issue.
Around the world, the EU uses the full range of tools available to it to protest against human rights abuses and to offer practical support to end discrimination against LGBTI persons. In Africa, we have used both public statements and work behind the scenes to argue the case for justice and human rights for LGBTI persons.
We have done this, for example, in Uganda and Malawi: in Uganda, by opposing a proposed parliamentary bill further criminalising homosexuality, and by raising serious human rights issues; and in Malawi, by opposing over-long prison sentences imposed on a gay couple. We have also used our political dialogues in Namibia, in Nigeria and in Gambia to raise our concerns about the human rights of LGBTI persons in those countries. Moreover, the EU has been funding projects supporting the human rights of LGBTI persons, for example, in Cameroon and Zimbabwe.
To ensure that the EU continues to do the right thing, EU delegations meet regularly with LGBTI human rights defenders and keep a close watch on their situation. The human rights of LGBTI persons have also been selected as a priority for the country strategies on human rights in many countries.
As recently as 1 June this year, the Commission organised, with Parliament, a high-level conference to discuss how to promote non-discrimination and human rights so as to unlock sources of development and enable inclusive growth. At that event, Commissioner Piebalgs launched a new EUR 20 million package to help fight against discrimination of all kinds, whether based on gender or sexual orientation, religion or belief, race or ethnic origin or disability, which affects millions of people around the world. This new package will be available for NGOs and civil society groups to tackle incidences of any kind of discrimination on the ground."@en1
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