Today the European Court of Human Rights delivered its judgement in a case of P.B. and J.S. v. Austria. The Court said Austria violated the European Convention on Human Rights by excluding same-sex partners from insurance cover and once again affirmed same-sex partnership constitute ‘family life’ under the Convention.
The Court decided by five votes to two that Austria violated Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) in conjunction with Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) during the period until August 2006 when insurance cover in question was extended only to cohabiting opposite sex partners.
Vytautas Landsbergis, EPP Member of the European Parliament for Lithuania and a former Head of the Lithuanian Parliament, said there was a connection between homosexuality and paedophilia. Children should therefore be protected from “homosexual propaganda” and “homophilic [sic] paedophilia”, he added. Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, responded that such claims were unfounded, and that the European Commission condemns discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Today the European Court of Human Rights delivered its judgement in the case of Schalk and Kopf v. Austria and ruled that Austria did not breach Article 12 (right to marry) by not allowing a same-sex couple to marry.
STRASBOURG, 16 June 2010 — Today the European Parliament adopted a strong position in favour of safeguarding transgender people’s fundamental rights. The Parliament officially acknowledged discrimination on grounds of gender identity, calls for accessible gender reassignment procedures, and insists future EU gender equality initiatives should address issues linked to gender identity and gender reassignment.
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Monday, May 17 marks the International Day Against Homophobia. Europe has seen important progress in addressing the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people — but there is more to be done.
In March, the representatives of the 47 member countries of the oldest European organization the Council of Europe, agreed that all individuals must be able to enjoy their rights and freedoms without discrimination — including on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Lithuania's Supreme Administrative Court overruled the Vilnius Regional Administrative Court decision on 7th May. The court said European Union law obligates the nation to protect the rights to free expression and assembly and “the state has a duty to ensure the right to peaceful assembly, even of people whose opinions are not popular or represent minorities”.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Lithuania's Supreme Administrative Court ruled on
Friday that Baltic Pride, a gay rights rally planned for Saturday in the
capital, Vilnius, would be able to go ahead after all, overturning a ban by a
lower court.
The move comes after the European Commission made it known its concerns
about the earlier decision's threat to fundamental freedoms.
On 8 April 2010, the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament passed the Equality Act 2010. The Act harmonises existing equality law which previously had been spread across numerous separate pieces of legislation.
"In speaking for the “Baltic Pride” parade, I speak about it from the perspective of human rights and democracy. I mentioned in my speech that US President, Barack Obama, speaks strongly for equal rights of all people. Modern democratic countries should respect and tolerate the rights of their citizens to choose their own path, and to live without harassment, discrimination, or violence. This is the foundation of human rights."
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Tolerance is different for national minorities, for the disabled, and for those with a different sexual orientation. A lot depends on their own behavior. Jews, for example, are demanding for the return of the property, but they engage in constructive discussions.
