Just two days after the Orlando Massacre when homophobic U.S. Republicans were tripping over each other to tell the media how very sorry they were, GOP Congressman then simply refused to allowed the House to even take a vote on the passage of an amendment barring federal contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. They simply couldn’t stop showing their true colors even though hate like theirs is what creates the environment for others to endanger the very being of the LGBT community.
However things across the Pond are so much better as the 28 Member States of the E.U. stepped up to the plate and on Friday reached a major consensus on LGBT rights for the first time in European history. The Council of the European Union agreed to work against “any discrimination” against LGBT people, and to ramp up pan-European efforts on equality.
The agreement urges individual national governments “to consider working together with the European Commission with regard to its List of actions to advance LGBTI equality”, and “to take action to combat discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity”.
Dutch equalities minister Jet Bussemaker said: “With the dreadful attack in Orlando still fresh in our memories, I don’t need to explain why it’s so important for the EU to take a clear stand. LGBTI rights and women’s rights are human rights that transcend borders. Everyone has the right to be who they want to be, regardless of their background or origin.”
ILGA-Europe’s Executive Director Evelyne Paradis said: “It is a clear call to the EU institutions that they can stop being cautious in standing up for LGBTI rights; they have the backing of member states to really step up their work in this area.”
