Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly condemns discrimination against LGBT people in Europe
Last week, a major Council of Europe institution has shown its support for the rights of LGBT people, with particular mention of LGBT youth.  The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a Resolution on Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.  This resolution not only gives support to the rights of LGBT young people but it also providing strong encouragement to the 47 member states of the Council of Europe to fight this discrimination.
  MEDIA RELEASE
5 May 2010
For immediate release
 
In particular, the report points to the serious consequences of homophobia and discrimination for young LGBT people, including the lack of recognition & support within education settings and hostile social attitudes which impact negatively on the mental health of these individuals.  In addition to this, the resolution also places importance on not criticising the perceived or declared sexual orientation of young people and recognises the negative impact any exploitation of perceived or declared sexual orientation can have.
 
IGLYO is happy to welcome the adoption of the Resolution and supports this move to highlight and promote equal rights of LGBT young people living within the council states of Europe, with the following statement:
 
“LGBT young people face discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity on a daily basis all across the member states of the Council of Europe.  IGLYO fully supports this Resolution which clearly shows the commitment of the Council of Europe to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  This development is a significant step forward for LGBT young people, which moves away from simply condemning discrimination and provides practical tools  for the 47 Member States about how they should approach and act against such discrimination.
 
IGLYO believes that this development will translate into real positive change in the lives of LGBT youth in the Member States of the Council of Europe and ensure that the fundamental rights of LGBT youth are protected”
 
Ends
 
For more information please contact
Esther Paterson, Co-Chair of IGLYO at esther@iglyo.com / +44 7825 686518
 
Notes for editors:
 
(1) IGLYO is the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Youth and Student Organisation and is an international membership-based umbrella organisation that aims to empower its Members in better representation of LGBTQ youth and student issues.
 
(2)  PACE  - the parliamentarians who make up PACE come from the national parliaments of the Council of Europe’s 47 member states. They meet four times a year to discuss topical issues and ask European governments to take initiatives and report back. These parliamentarians speak for the 800 million Europeans who elected them.
 
(3) The texts of the PACE Report, Resolution and Recommendations, as well as voting record, are available at
http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/NewsManager/EMB_NewsManagerView.asp?ID=5517&L=2   
 
(4) The verbatim report of the debate is available at:
http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/Records/2010/E/1004291500E.htmw  
 
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