Brussels, 4 February 2014

Today, Tuesday 4 February, the European Parliament adopted a report on “The EU Roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity”, presented by Austrian MEP Ulrike Lunacek. A report founded on a study prepared by the LGBT lobby ILGA Europe, at the request of the LIBE Committee and supported by two thirds of the European Parliament.

In an open letter to the MEPs prior to the vote Antoine Renard, President of FAFCE, asked the Members of the European Parliament “Should private sex life be a guideline for EU policies?” 

FAFCE’s President suggested that « One’s private sex life should not be a guideline for public policies. The EU must ensure the full enjoyment of all fundamental rights by all citizens. Member States implement fundamental rights and guarantee the balance between the right to equal opportunities and other fundamental rights. Whatever choices one makes in one’s private sex life, fundamental rights are the same for all citizens. There should not be a categorization of fundamental rights according to one’s sexual inclinations.” 

When the draft report was presented at the European Parliament LIBE Committee in October 2013 FAFCE warned that this issue would trigger strong reactions as the report interferes in areas where the Member States are competent, not the EU, such as family law.

FAFCE recalled that “the EU is currently facing many challenges and its popularity among the European citizens is not at its highest peak. Promoting an agenda based on lifestyle choices that clearly divides the Member States is hardly the best solution to achieve social cohesion within the EU. All citizens of the EU are entitled to live in peace and the dignity of every person must be respected. The rights of all EU citizens must be upheld and protected. However, the tendency to categorise Human Rights cannot be the way forward: every person, every man and every woman, are entitled to Human Rights and equal in dignity. Nevertheless we must not forget that these rights are not conditioned by the individual desire but by the common good.”

Over 200 000 EU citizens wrote to the MEPs to ask them to reject the report. That’s a clear signal: the report divides the EU and hence undermines social peace on our continent.