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ILGA Europe’s Annual Review 2020

ILGA-Europe’s Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex People in Europe and Central Asia. Ninth edition covering Europe, and our first covering the entire region of Central Asia.

Includes events that occurred between January and December 2019. Provides a snapshot of what happened during the year, at national, regional and international levels, and it documents progress and trends regarding the human rights situation of LGBTI people.

ILGA stresses that the document is not an exercise in apportioning blame. ILGA-Europe’s goal is not to point fingers at specific countries. Instead, the publication intends to serve as a tool for the exchange of best practices and policies, and as an open invitation for enhanced cooperation between governments and LGBTI civil society.

Bias motivated violence

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women urged the UK to combat hate crimes against trans people, ensure effective investigation and prosecution. Police records revealed that anti-LGBT hate crimes and incidents in England and Wales increased from 5,807 in 2014-15, to 13,530 in 2018-19. However, the rate of prosecution has dropped from 20 per cent to eight per cent. The number of homophobic attacks doubled, while transphobic attacks tripled. The Home Office’s Hate Crime statistics for 2018/19, released in October, also showed a 10 per cent increase anti-LGBT attacks in England and Wales, compared to the previous year.On 30 May, a female couple was attacked by a group of men in London. The case went viral after the victims posted a picture of their injuries. London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, and then Prime Minister Theresa May condemned the attack. MPs also called for increased measures against anti-LGBT hate online. In 2020 a Law Commission will start reviewing whether current hate crime laws are effective in combating online and offline abuse.In Northern Ireland.

Public opinion

Results of the British Social Attitudes survey revealed that the acceptance of same-sex relationships has slowed down in UK, with a significant minority remaining hostile. Fewer respondents felt that prejudice against trans people is wrong in principle than in the case of anti-LGB prejudice.

Social security and social protection

Almost half of young homeless LGBT people become homeless because of family rejection. Of them, half come from religious backgrounds, primarily Christian or Muslim, as shared by the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT). The country’s first permanent LGBT Shelter opened in London in May, run by the Outside Project.The UK’s first retirement home for LGBT people is planned The UK’s first retirement home for LGBT people is planned to be set up next year.

Extracts from United Kingdom review; period January -December 2019, pages 167-168.

 Annual review of the human rights situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people in Europe and central Asia | ILGA Europe | 2020