Gender Policy / LGBTIQ+

Born in Benin, Cléo left her country because of her transsexuality and her activism. After living in Tunisia for several years, she was recently granted asylum there. She tells us about her fight and her odyssey.

The cases of Marwen and the six students from Kairouan who were arrested and sentenced for homosexual practices in 2015 received a lot of media coverage. However, that did not stop the spiral of violence against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people (LGBTs) in Tunisia. Homophobia can be deadly.

The programme "Europe for Citizens" pools activities fostering tolerance promotion, gender equality and the protection of fundamental rights.

The subject of LGBT rights is gaining more and more attention in Tunisia. The number of homophobic statements is reaching record highs and people continue to be arrested for sodomy. Thanks to the commitment of non-governmental organizations the issue is now being widely discussed in the public and the media.

In 2006 human rights experts elaborated the Yogyakarta Principles. Their question: What is known about human rights law in relation to gender identity? An Interview about the impact of the principles so far.

Caroline Ausserer spoke with Zhan Chiam, employee at ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association), about the recent report of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on LGBTI asylum-seekers and -refugees.

Ten experts from eight different countries share their views and perceptions of the assaults committed on New Year’s Eve in Cologne. A contribution to the ongoing debate on sexualised violence and harassment in Germany.

The mass-scale sexual assaults in Cologne, Germany have inspired a political blame-game—but condemning women’s conduct or Europe’s open border policies won’t serve the victims of Cologne or the refugees who continue to need our protection.

Lena Herrmann-Green is a 19-year-old student with two younger siblings who lives a relatively normal life. But she was one of the first children in Germany to be conceived via anonymous sperm donation.

For intersex people and their concerns, 2015 was a very important year because it saw intersex issues being thrust more and more into the spotlight of European and international policy making. Caroline Ausserer talks about these developments with Dan Christian Ghattas, co-chair of OII Europe, the umbrella organization of European human rights-based intersex NGOs.