Dear friends of the European Parliamentary Association,

The European Parliamentary Association and the Delegation of the European Union to the Council of Europe, in partnership with the Permanent Representations of Malta and Luxembourg to the Council of Europe, are glad to invite you to a debate titled “Over the rainbow? LGBTI rights in Europe: Between reality and ambition”, which will take place on Tuesday 7th of June, starting at 8 pm, at 76 avenue de la Robertsau, Strasbourg.

The event will be held in English and will be followed by a cocktail reception.

Please fill in the form to participate: https://forms.gle/wyUKcYUgrvr6HAx99

In the last twenty years, unprecedented progress has been made in many European countries in the area of LGBTI rights. The European Union and the Council of Europe have put the protection of these rights at the centre of their action, conscious that guaranteeing fundamental human rights to every citizen is what distinguishes democracies from autocratic regimes.

In a moment when political homophobia is on the rise, European institutions aspire to be the beacon of hope for their LGBTI citizens, but also for those people in the rest of the world, who are being persecuted because of their sexual orientation or their gender identity.

What are the most pressing issues today when it comes to LGBTI rights in the EU? What are the Council of Europe and the European Parliament doing on this topic? How can the European Union and the Council of Europe join forces to counter homophobic legislations? What are the EU priorities when it comes to promoting LGBT rights internationally?

We’ll discuss about it with:

- Helena Dalli, European Commissioner for Equality;

- Marc Angel, MEP and co-chair of the European Parliament’s LGBTI intergoup;

- Stella Ronner, EU Ambassador for Gender and Diversity.

We hope to see you there.