Press release: Transgender Day of Visibility – why this mandate can mark the difference

Brussels, 31 March 2022

Trans and non-binary persons remain targets of discrimination, harassment, and gender-based violence throughout the EU, as reported in 2019 by Fundamental Rights Agency.^[1] As data shows, roughly one in six trans persons (17%) experienced a physical and/or sexual attack for being trans in the five years prior to the survey.

31 March is celebrated as International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day that begets reflection on the progress and shortcomings in the EU on trans rights, as well as what the Union can and must do to improve the livelihood of trans persons. The LGBTI Intergroup welcomes the celebration of this date.

Pierre Karleskind MEP (Renew Europe), Vice-President of the Intergroup, comments:

Today, we honour trans and non-binary persons and shine light on the diversity of gender identity and expression. In too many Member States, quick and transparent procedures for legal gender recognition are lacking. In many others, transidentity is considered as a pathology. May this visibility day help make the EU a true freedom zone for trans and non-binary people.

Maria Walsh MEP (EPP), Vice-President of the Intergroup, concludes:

We are reminded today of how far we have come but also of the long road ahead of us to better protect trans persons. That can be done by ensuring that laws on gender-based violence are comprehensive in scope, by giving broad enough mandates to Equality Bodies to work on gender identity and expression, and by ensuring that trans parents who exercise their freedom of movement do not lose their legal ties to their children. All these topics are the subject of EU laws announced for 2022. We have worked thus far to make these issues a priority and will continue to work on the upcoming legislative proposals to ensure they are effectively addressed.

Background information:

The Commission announced for 2022 the publication of the following legislative initiatives: a Directive on violence against women and domestic violence (published), a Directive on Equality Bodies (to be published) and a Regulation on mutual recognition of parenthood (to be published).

[1] Fundamental Rights Agency (March 2020), “EU-LGBTI II: A Long Way to go for LGBTI Equality”, accessible at https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/fra-2020-lgbti-equality-1_en.pdf

Press contacts:

Office of Pierre Karleskind MEP – Victor Belaud (Victor.Belaud@europarl.europa.eu)

Office of Maria Walsh MEP – Barry McCarthy (BarryTimothy.McCarthy@europarl.europa.eu)