Democracy, diversity, LGBT fundamental rights and Bulgaria
Published Friday, November 23, 2007 at 08:31
Published Friday, November 23, 2007 at 08:31
by joelld in European democracy & diversity (62 views and 2 comments)
The first day of the PES Council in Sofia went well, despite the climate conditions, with rich debates and conferences. Rainbow Rose LGBT was well represented by Rodrigo Martín Galán during the debate on European democracy and diversity yesterday afternoon. As many speakers remarked, article 13 of the EC treaty, and other binding European laws such as anti-discrimination directives 2000/78 and 2000/43, are already implemented in all member States, improving the conditions of LGBT persons, women or disabled persons in all areas of social life. Still, it also appears clearly that EU treaties and regulations, being no magic solutions, had not eliminated racism, sexism, homophobia or transphobia in our societies. As socialist activists and NGOs report daily, discriminations in employment and work conditions, hate crimes, intolerant speeches in day-to-day life, are a reality we must face.
Rainbow Rose met at lunch time, outside the Council, with Bulgarian LGBT activists who could explain us what kind of exactions they live with in their country – and Bulgaria is not an exception. As European socialists are talking, these days in Sofia, of the ways to make diversity the very blood of our “New Social Europe”, we must in no case forget what our social democratic values stand for. That is, meeting high social standards in justice and social protection, for all European citizens that must be treated as equals. This can become reality only if Human Rights are binding obligations, as binding as economic, monetary and budgetary policies such as settled in the EU since the Maastricht treaty. This is the only way to the inclusive society we stand for. Rainbow Rose, for what is about LGBT equality matters, was glad, in this first Council day, to meet with some members of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and its Youth Movement (BSY). It is only fighting all together that we will be able to get rid of intolerance in the whole EU.
Tags: activists, council, democracy, discrimination, diversity, fundamental rights, LGBT, PES
The first day of the PES Council in Sofia went well, despite the climate conditions, with rich debates and conferences. Rainbow Rose LGBT was well represented by Rodrigo Martín Galán during the debate on European democracy and diversity yesterday afternoon. As many speakers remarked, article 13 of the EC treaty, and other binding European laws such as anti-discrimination directives 2000/78 and 2000/43, are already implemented in all member States, improving the conditions of LGBT persons, women or disabled persons in all areas of social life. Still, it also appears clearly that EU treaties and regulations, being no magic solutions, had not eliminated racism, sexism, homophobia or transphobia in our societies. As socialist activists and NGOs report daily, discriminations in employment and work conditions, hate crimes, intolerant speeches in day-to-day life, are a reality we must face.
Rainbow Rose met at lunch time, outside the Council, with Bulgarian LGBT activists who could explain us what kind of exactions they live with in their country – and Bulgaria is not an exception. As European socialists are talking, these days in Sofia, of the ways to make diversity the very blood of our “New Social Europe”, we must in no case forget what our social democratic values stand for. That is, meeting high social standards in justice and social protection, for all European citizens that must be treated as equals. This can become reality only if Human Rights are binding obligations, as binding as economic, monetary and budgetary policies such as settled in the EU since the Maastricht treaty. This is the only way to the inclusive society we stand for. Rainbow Rose, for what is about LGBT equality matters, was glad, in this first Council day, to meet with some members of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and its Youth Movement (BSY). It is only fighting all together that we will be able to get rid of intolerance in the whole EU.
Tags: activists, council, democracy, discrimination, diversity, fundamental rights, LGBT, PES
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