Equality for all, also outside Brussels

by Roel Hoenders

Only three days before the Brussels Gay Pride 2007 took place on 12 May, one of the political groups of the European Parliament (ALDE) organized a public seminar entitled “Gay Prides: exposure and impact”. The purpose of the meeting was both to inform and share gay pride experiences to an audience of EU decision- and policymakers. Such political events are needed as gay prides still suffer from severe opposition in some EU Member States (mostly countries who joined the EU in 2004), sometimes even violence and hatred from public, police and political and religious leaders.

Besides this necessary support for organizers of gay prides in particular, such types of actions and events also underline the responsibility and role of EU institutions within a wider framework of promoting human rights. When discussing how to bring the EU citizen closer to the EU institutions, initiatives like the seminar mentioned above should play a prominent role. The EU is not a bureaucratic monster just creating burdensome legislation; the EU institutions play a vital role in systematically and continuously promoting human rights and explicitly addressing discrimination issues.

Moreover, the call for action of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) is not limited to their Strasbourg and Brussels desks. A number of MEPs participated (or will participate) in especially those prides which were under a lot of political pressure or even facing prohibition. Main message of these MEPs is that the European Union not only constitutes an economic union but also a union of values.

See: ALDE public seminar 09/05/2007 “Gay Prides: Exposure and Impact” & Le Monde 21/05/2007: Des eurodéputés à la Gaypride de Varsovie pour défendre l'égalité

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on 22-05-2007 By Philip - Galaxy Europe - Permalink - Share

Comments

Tom | 1. Wednesday, May 23 2007, 09:24

I totally agree that the European Parliament in particular can help make gay prides in Europe into moments of activism, and not just cheap, hairy hedonism. But let's be honest: before Warsaw, before Vilnius, the MEPs could stay just ONE weekend in Brussels and help save the Brussels gay pride from being a carney freak-show. Why is it all the floats are only sponsored by clubs and bars? Where is Europe in all of this?

Julija | 2. Thursday, May 24 2007, 14:44

Well Tom, why do you have such an idealistic perception of the European Parliament? I mean - OK they can somehow support Gay Pride by their presence and conferences, but allow me to remind you that for example Chapter on Human Rights in Europe still does not have a status of Community law. Why MEPs did not put any effort to make the Chapter legally binding? They had already 7 years to make some efforts...I mean - of course it is good that the Chapter is being part of the Constitutional Treaty, but who knows when it's going to be ratified?

Besides, I have doubts that many MEPs from the new MS are going to participate in the Pride or at least make educational seminars on gay rights in their home countries. I think that they are simply afraid to loose the votes for next elections, because unfortunately many people in Eastern Europe don’t know the definitions and think that homosexuality is the same thing as pedofilia…

Jeroen | 3. Friday, May 25 2007, 12:46

Lithuania rejected an EU "anti-discrimination bus", which was sent to Vilnius to promote diversity (see http://euobserver.com/9/24104)... or how the EU itself is now also victim of homophobia!