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TGEU welcomes the European Parliament’s adoption of the Ferrara Report [1] on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union, this afternoon. The report sends a clear message to the European Commission and member states, and calls on them to provide better models to protect human rights, including the human rights of LGBTI people.
TGEU highlights the focus on gender identity in the following sections of the report [3], in particular the call on the Commission to prevent gender variance in childhood from becoming a new ICD – International Classification of Diseases [2], diagnosis.
TGEU Senior policy Officer Richard Köhler comments: “TGEU welcomes the strong support for fundamental rights the European Parliament reaffirmed today, particularly in times of a lack of political leadership amidst a human crisis in Europe. This vote restores confidence in our common values that are built on the firm belief for fundamental rights for all.”
TGEU Co-chair Arja Voipio added “The European Parliament calls upon the European Commission to intensify its efforts to prevent a gender incongruence in childhood diagnosis in the next International Classification of Diseases. Young gender diverse and trans children need supportive stigma-free environments to develop into confident young persons, not medical treatment.”
The report by MEP Laura Ferrara improves the respect of human rights of LGBTI people, providing a holistic picture of the human rights challenges currently faced by Europe.
ENDS
Notes:
[1] Report on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union (2013-2014). Final text and amendments: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+REPORT+A8-2015-0230+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=en
[2] Read TGEU’s position on the revision of the ICD 10 http://tgeu.org/tgeu_position_on_the_revision_of_the_icd_10/
[3] Passages related to gender identity in the report on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union (2013-2014).
- Condemns in the strongest termsall forms of discrimination and violence on EU territory against lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and intersex people (LGBTI), as fostered by laws and policies that restrict the fundamental rights of LGBTI people; calls on the Commission and Member States to adopt laws and policies to combat homophobia and transphobia; calls, in this regard, on the Commission to put forward an action plan or strategy at EU level for equality on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, as repeatedly called for by Parliament and as promised by Commissioner Jourová in the process of the Commission hearings; in this regard, recalls its resolution of 4 February 2014 on the EU Roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity; emphasises, nevertheless, that this comprehensive policy must respect the competences of the European Union, of its agencies and of its Member States;
- Considers that the authorities of the Member States should facilitate procedures enabling people who have changed sex to have their new gender recognised in official documents; reiterates its condemnation of any legal recognition procedure which imposes sterilisation on transgender people;
- Deplores the fact that transgender people are still considered mentally ill in the majority of Member States and calls on them to review national mental health catalogues, while ensuring that medically necessary treatment remains available for all trans people;90.Welcomes the initiative shown by the Commission in pushing for depathologisation of transgender identities in the review of the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD); calls on the Commission to intensify efforts to prevent gender variance in childhood from becoming a new ICD diagnosis;