LGB Rights and Europe

1
LGB Rights and Europe

• Alex Bols, Secretary General ESIB
• and
• Bettina Schwarzmayr, Executive Committee, ESIB

2
What is ESIB?

• Umbrella organisation of National Unions of
  Students across Europe
  
• Members in 34 European countries
• Representing over 11 million students in HE
• ESIB represents student views in HE policy making
  at the European level e.g. Erasmus exchange
  programme, Education in GATS and the developments
  towards a European Higher Education Area (Bologna
  Process)

3
ESIB and Equality Issues

• Seminar on Equality in HE in May this year where
  we ran training and information sessions
  
• Statement on LGB Students last year which was
  then reinforced by Equality Policy Paper in May
  
• European Student Handbook on Equality and Equal
  Access to HEsign sheet with address if you want
  a copy
  
• Web based equality resource
• Equality Working Group bringing together NUSs
  to discuss equality issuesnext year chaired by
  NUS UK

4
Council of Europe

• Organisation created in 1948 and includes most
  European countries, 45 at last count
  
• European Convention on Human Rights, 1950
• Four Articles, 3, 8, 10 and 14 can be deemed
  relevant to LGB people
  
• This Convention is enforced through the European
  Court of Human Rights
  
• This Court has in the last five years been used
  to change the law several times in the
  UKrelating to amongst others to the age of
  consent and gays in armed forces
• President of Parliamentary Assembly raising issues

5
European Union

• Important role of changing the law in member
  countries and accession countries to the EU
  
• States wishing to join the EU mustAccept the
  existing body of EU law (the acquis
  communautaire) by incorporating this into
  domestic legislation and
• Establish respect for human rights, including
  protection of minorities (the "Copenhagen
  criteria which is taken as the aforementioned
  European Convention on Human Rights)

6
European Union

• Treaty of Amsterdam Art. 13
• Charter of Fundamental rights Art. 21
• Numerous resolutions to repeal discriminatory law
  from the EU parliament
  
• Council directive
• Anti discrimination Action programme
• Reports of accession countries and current member
  states
  

7
Case Study Austria

• It is not just accession members that have
  changed laws as a result of EU and Council of
  Europe pressure
  
• Austria, a typically Catholic and conservative
  country has changed as well
  
• Age of Consent changed earlier this year,
  introduction of anti-discrimination law due to EU
  directive 2000/78/EC

8
Solidarity work

• Link LGB groups around Europe as part of Equality
  Work Group
  
• Belgrade Pride, June 2001
• First Gay Pride in Serbia
• 50 police, several hundred marchers and over a
  thousand protestors against the Pride
  
• Descent into hell

9
Conclusion

• Any questions?
• IGLYO and IGLA
• http//www.ilga-europe.org or www.iglyo.net
• Contact us further
• alex_at_esib.org or bettina_at_esib.org
• Or for more information www.esib.org