LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025

Our social, political and economic strength comes from our unity in diversity: Equality and non-discrimination are core values and fundamental rights in the EU, enshrined in its Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The European Commission, the Parliament and the Council, together with Member States, all share a responsibility to protect fundamental rights and ensure equal treatment and equality for all.

In recent decades, legislative developments, case law and policy initiatives have improved many people’s lives and helped us building more equal and welcoming societies, including for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people. In 2015, the Commission presented the “List of Actions to Advance LGBTI Equality”, the first policy framework specifically combatting discrimination against LGBTI people.

Social acceptance of LGBTIQ people has steadily increased across the EU over the last years. The findings of the third LGBTIQ survey of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) show that LGBTIQ people are more open about their sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics in their social environment (52%, up 6 percentage points since 2019), with this trend more evident for trans, non-binary, gender diverse and intersex respondents. 

At the same time, according to the FRA survey, there has been a significant increase in hate-motivated harassment targeting LGBTIQ people, with more than half reporting that they had experienced this (55%, up 18 percentage points since 2019). Respondents in most EU countries also reported more frequent physical and sexual attacks, particularly affecting trans, non-binary, gender-diverse and intersex people.

The European Union has to be at the forefront of efforts to better protect LGBTIQ people’s rights. Therefore, the European Commission adopted on 12 November 2020 the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 (in all EU languages).

This is the first-ever Commission strategy on LGBTIQ equality and delivers on the European Commission's commitment to building a Union of Equality. It strives to build a Union where diversity is celebrated as part of our collective richness, where all people can be themselves without risk of discrimination, exclusion or violence.

The Strategy marks a new phase in our efforts to promote equality for LGBTIQ people while continuing to focus on priority areas. It sets out a series of measures to step up action, to integrate LGBTIQ equality in all policy areas and to help lift the voices of LGBTIQ minorities. It aims at bringing together Member States and actors at all levels in a common endeavour to address LGBTIQ discrimination more effectively by 2025.

This report provides an assessment of how the current strategy has been put into practice. It analyses how the situation of LGBTIQ people has evolved in the EU, what progress has been made, and which areas require greater focus to fully implement the strategy by 2025. The report also provides an overview of developments at national level.  
The preparation of the report involved consultations with Member States participating in the LGBTIQ Equality Subgroup under the High-Level Group on Non-discrimination, Equality and Diversity and with civil society organisations. More information on the consultation activities is included in the synopsis report. This report also builds on the 2023 progress report on the implementation of the strategy, which presents the actions taken by the EU in the period up to February 2023.

The LGBTIQ Equality Subgroup was set up for enhancing implementation of the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy under the High-Level Group on non-discrimination, equality and diversity. The Subgroup is composed of Governmental experts, nominated by Member States’ Governments, to support and monitor progress of the protection of LGBTIQ people’s rights in the Member States. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) contributes to its work, and the Subgroup cooperates on a regular basis with civil society and international organisations, such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Council of Europe.

The Subgroup started its work in May 2021. It prepared the Guidelines for Strategies and Action Plans to Enhance LGBTIQ Equality to support concrete action to enhance protection of the rights of LGBTIQ people across in the EU Member States. These guidelines identify what LGBTIQ policies, strategies and action plans should cover in order to be useful and effective. The guidelines support and encourage the Member States in line with the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy, as advised, prioritized and agreed by the Subgroup.