Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex People in Europe 2011

C. MacKenzie

This 2011 edition of the Annual Review is ILGA-Europe's very first edition of what will become an annual publication. It provides a snapshot of what happened during the year, at both the international and national levels, with the purpose of documenting progress and trends regarding the human rights situation of LGBTI people. While this edition covers various cases of violence, hatred and discrimination against LGBTI people (at times perpetrated at the hands of the State), the scope of the document is not that of naming and shaming, or pointing fingers at specific countries. This publication should instead serve as a tool for the exchange of best practices and policies, and as an open invitation for enhanced cooperation between governments and LGBTI civil society. The main trend identified for 2011 include contradictory developments. On the one hand, great progress was achieved at the international and European levels in terms of recognition of the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity and various countries continued moving towards the extension of legal recognition and equal rights to rainbow families. On the other hand there are some countries that moves towards the adoption of legislation criminalising the "propaganda of homosexuality".