Today, in Europe, the rule of law is contested. Our common values are under attack. Our democracy is at risk.
UNITED 4 DIVERSITY IS OUR WAKE-UP CALL
United 4 Diversity is an initiative to build a wide coalition of civil society organisations, experts from academia, policy makers and corporate organisations in order to address together the growing threat posed by the so-called ‘anti-gender’ and ‘anti-LGBTIQ+’ movements against our human rights and our democracies.
In 2023, our kick-off meeting will help launch this coalition and define its action plan for the future.
Over the last 15 years, we have witnessed how the LGBTIQ+ communities have been scapegoated across Europe. How anti-LGBTIQ+ policymakers have been gaining strength across the continent. How LGBTIQ+ people have been instrumentalised by anti-European and anti-democratic forces.
We have seen the introduction of ‘LGBT Free Zones’ in Poland. We have seen the adoption of laws silencing the LGBTIQ+ communities in Hungary and Russia. We have seen autocratic politicians use hateful rhetoric to spread fear and destabilize democracies. We have seen the so-called ‘anti-gender’ movement coalesce and gain momentum.
We have seen a lot. Yet our reaction has not been up to the threat.
It is time to acknowledge that these attacks are not just targeting the LGBTIQ+ communities.
They are undermining our core European values. They are weakening Europe’s security. They are eroding the resilience of our democracy.
It is time to acknowledge the threats that the so-called ‘anti-gender’ and ‘anti-LGBTIQ+’ movements pose to our democracies.
It is time to realise that the actors from the public sector, the corporate world, and civil society need to join forces to tackle these movements.
