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The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Far right weaponising LGBTQ+ rights in Europe to sow division, campaigners say
Far-right politicians in Europe are weaponising LGBTQ+ rights and sowing divisions that are sending hate crimes soaring, campaigners have said as communities prepare to mark Pride month. For years, countries in Europe were among those at the forefront of advancing rights, making steady progress on issues such as marriage equality, said Katrin Hugendubel of ILGA-Europe, an umbrella organisation that works with more than 700 groups across Europe and central Asia. In recent years, however, there has been a sharp reversal. 'Not only is there a real non-advancement in legal protection, but laws are actually being taken away,' said Hugendubel. 'And what we see is that, more and more, laws are being designed not to protect the fundamental rights of people nor to address any genuine societal needs, but purely to marginalise the community.' Examples span Europe. In Hungary and Slovakia, populist governments have sought to enshrine two genders in the constitution, a promise echoed by the far-right Austrian party that won the most votes in the last election. In at least 10 European countries, including Italy, Bulgaria and Romania, attempts have been made to introduce legislation barring LGBTQ+ topics from schools. This week, the Council of Europe said transphobic hate speech was rife in many European countries, with references to protecting children against 'gender ideology' becoming what it described as a 'recurring trend'. Earlier this year, Hungary became the first country in the EU to ban events involving the LGBTQ+ community, in a legal change that was codified just as Budapest Pride was preparing to mark its 30th year. Politicians themselves have used parliament, political rallies and media interviews to take aim at the community, fuelling anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and normalising discrimination across the continent. The impacts had been wide-reaching, Hugendubel said. 'It's leading to more hate online and offline, and that's leading to increasing violence.' A 2024 survey of more than 100,000 LGBTIQ people in 30 European countries found that reports of violence and harassment had reached new highs, with 14% of respondents saying they had been physically or sexually attacked in the five years prior to the survey. One in three said they had faced violence repeatedly. The findings highlighted how bullying, harassment and violence remained constant threats, said Sirpa Rautio, the director of the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency, which carried out the survey. 'Being openly LGBTIQ in Europe should not be a struggle,' Rautio said in a statement. While the rollback of rights has been most intense in central and eastern Europe, where rightwing politicians are gaining power, violence is rising across the continent, with countries including France, Germany, Belgium and Spain all reporting surges. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion Suicide rates has also risen amid the growing climate of discrimination, Hugendubel said, particularly in the trans community. 'This kind of ongoing war that's being waged against trans people is hitting very vulnerable young people who are trying to work out their gender identity, trying to find their space in society. The relentless hostility can have devastating effects on mental health, including increased risks of suicide,' she said. 'It's often forgotten, but that's part of the story of the rise in hate as well.' She described the erosion of LGBTQ+ rights as a 'canary in the mine', as the same far-right governments go on to extend their attacks to academics, journalists and artists and undermine fair elections. 'The community has been weaponised,' she said. 'You're scapegoating a community and you use that to create an us-against-them narrative to bind you to your own voters and build alliances that safeguard your own power.' The trans community had borne the brunt of this tactic as politicians seized on the fact that many people knew little about the community or trans rights, Hugendubel said. 'It was an easy entry point to sow fear among people, to sow division,' she said. 'So in that sense, it was a real instrumentalisation. You kind of take the weakest link and enter there to sow fears, to sow misinformation that then goes into broader attacks against the community, but also against human rights standards.' What had emerged was an 'existential threat' for democracy, one that had made it imperative for the EU to take action to address the violation of fundamental rights, she said. In recent days, pressure has been growing on the EU to address the Hungarian government's Pride ban, with 17 countries calling on Brussels to use all the legal tools at its disposal if Hungary does not revise the measures. So far, however, there has been little response from the upper echelons of the EU. As organisations across Europe geared up to mark Pride, all of this was weighing heavily on many, she said. 'We've always said that Pride is a protest. In many countries with LGBTI rights advancing, Pride has luckily turned into a big celebration and a celebration of diversity in the community, which it should be as well.' But its roots in protest could not be forgotten, she said, particularly at a time when communities were grappling with scapegoating, hate speech and surging violence. 'In the end, limiting Pride is not just limiting the visibility of LGBTI rights. It's really limiting the freedom of assembly that every citizen has,' she said. 'And I think this Pride season will be a stark reminder of that.' In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@ or jo@ In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
UK plummets down rankings for LGBT+ rights in Europe
The UK has plummeted to a new low in European rankings for LGBT+ rights, despite having topped the list just a decade ago. Britain dropped six places to 22nd in 2025's rankings - its lowest position ever - in The Rainbow Map and Index, which has been published annually since 2009. The UK was ranked at the top of the list from 2011 to 2015, but has had all legal gender recognition-related points deducted following the recent Supreme Court ruling, which has defined a woman strictly by biological sex under the Equality Act. The UK was given an overall score of 45.65 per cent in the rankings, meaning it has an above-average score for Europe, which is 41.85 per cent, but is lower than the European Union members' average of 51.13 per cent. The rankings give countries in Europe a score between zero and 100 per cent. A score of zero would mean the country grossly violates human rights for LGBT+ people, while 100 per cent means it champions them. Malta topped the 2025 list with a score of 89 per cent, followed by Belgium in second with 89 per cent, Iceland with 84 per cent, Denmark with 80 per cent and Spain with 78 per cent. ILGA Europe, the advocacy group that publishes the rankings, said it had removed all legal gender recognition-related points from the UK's score in 2025, as the ruling had meant 'legal gender recognition is no longer fully effective'. 'Legal gender recognition should enable a person to legally function and be recognised in their affirmed gender in all areas of life; this is no longer the case in the UK,' it said. 'The ruling, along with interim guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), means that individuals with a gender recognition certificate are not fully recognised as their affirmed gender in important legal contexts. 'It is, in fact, impossible for a trans person to be fully legally recognised in their gender identity within the legal framework created by the judgment and interim update.' Britain also lost points for not yet having a ban on conversion therapy, and limited options for healthcare for young trans people. The UK also scored low on issues such as rights for intersex people and the draft government guidance advising teachers in England not to teach schoolchildren about gender identity, and proposing a ban on sex education for children under nine. A low score of 16.67 per cent was also given for the UK's record over LGBT+ asylum seekers, with such refugees often facing homelessness and abuse. LGBT+ rights group Stonewall said the rankings should be a 'wake-up call' for the government as it 'undermines our position on the global stage'. 'No country can afford to be on autopilot during these turbulent times,' a spokesperson said. "The UK has reached an all-time low position of 22 out of 49. Warm words and empty promises from the government won't restore the UK's global reputation on LGBTQ+ rights. Action will.' The Good Law Project's executive director, Jo Maugham, said the sharp fall in the UK's ranking came as little surprise. 'Only ten years ago, we were the best in the world in the annual LGBTI Rights Ranking,' he said. 'We're now 22nd and making all the wrong headlines, alongside Hungary and Georgia, for the biggest decline in protections. This is not just an embarrassment abroad – it's also a tragedy at home for tens of thousands of people struggling to live lives of quiet dignity.' The UK did score highly in some categories, such as family and civil society space. The country was given a score of 85.67 per cent for LGBT+ families, with the Marriage Act 2013 being cited as a reason. Civil society space was given 100 per cent, as the UK was deemed to have laws, policies and practices in place which allow for full exercise of freedom of assembly, association and expression for LGBT+ people. Equality and non-discrimination were given an average score of 49.13 per cent, while hate crime and hate speech were given a score of 40.55 per cent. The UK was joined by Hungary and Georgia in seeing big drops in its annual rankings. Hungary has seen the prohibition of Pride events and criminalisation of participants, and both Georgia and Hungary have removed references to 'gender identity and expression' from their legislation. Despite slipping down the ranks, the UK is still far above those at the bottom of the list. Russia came in last with a score of just 2 per cent, followed marginally by Azerbaijan at 2.25 per cent and Turkey at 4.75 per cent. In 2023, Russia's Supreme Court effectively outlawed any LGBT+ activism in a ruling that designated 'the international LGBT movement' as extremist. A UK government spokesperson said: ' The UK has long championed the rights of LGBT+ people at home and abroad. We proudly uphold a clear and robust expansive legislative framework. 'We are working to advance the rights afforded to LGBT+ people, including bringing forward legislation to finally ban conversion practices and strengthening protections against hate crime.' A spokesperson for the EHRC told The Independent: 'At the EHRC we uphold and enforce the Equality Act. Our response to the Supreme Court's judgment has been, and will continue to be, firmly grounded in the law. Those who rely on us are reassured that every explanation of equality law from the EHRC will be accurate and authoritative. That is our job, as Britain's independent and expert equality regulator. 'We know there is uncertainty among duty-bearers and affected groups. The EHRC has been visible in providing clarity on the consequences of the judgment and will continue to be so.'
