MEPs: EU must protect LGBTIs in third countries

Members of the European Parliament, Sophie in 't Veld and Marietje Schaake (ALDE/D66), want the EU to do more to combat homophobic legislation. On the initiative of the two liberal MEPs, the Parliament will vote on a resolution which addresses lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and intersexual rights and anti-gay laws. Recently, laws criminalising homosexuality have been adopted in Uganda, Nigeria, India and Russia. Destruction In 't Veld, vice-President of the LGBT working group of the European Parliament: "Lives are being destroyed by this awful legislation. Anti-gay laws are a flagrant violation of fundamental human rights and countless international treaties. The EU needs to work harder to promote gay emancipation at home, but also to improve the position of LGBTI-people abroad, through our foreign policy." Last Tuesday, In 't Veld signed the Come Out 2014 European Election Pledge, an initiative by the International Lesbian and Gay Association, on behalf the liberal group in the European Parliament. With this agreement, the group commits itself to the promotion of LGBTI rights for the next five years, both at home and abroad. Enforcing human rights "The European Union must keep on addressing human rights at the highest political level", says Marietje Schaake. The EU has put human rights clauses into trade treaties with other countries, which can be used to enforce respect for human rights. "The EU has the instruments and the political and economic clout to act against countries that violate human rights, but due to a lack of resolve by the member states this rarely ever happens. EU foreign policy chief Ashton even has an official 'toolkit' at her disposal, publishing a statement is simply not good enough. We can and must do more to make sure that LGBTI rights are human rights, from Russia to Nigeria", says Marietje Schaake.