LGBT People, the Religions and Human Rights in Europe

Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) is a non-governmental organisation that focuses on research, analysis and monitoring of a wide range of human rights concerns in many countries throughout the world. It also has a long and respected history of promoting and defending the freedom of religion or belief, taking a leadership role in fighting against all forms of religious discrimination and in protecting the freedom to not have a religion.In recent years, questions on religion have...
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Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) is a non-governmental organisation that focuses on research, analysis and monitoring of a wide range of human rights concerns in many countries throughout the world. It also has a long and respected history of promoting and defending the freedom of religion or belief, taking a leadership role in fighting against all forms of religious discrimination and in protecting the freedom to not have a religion.In recent years, questions on religion have confronted another topic of concern for human rights advocates. Discussions over sexual orientation and gender identity have (re)entered the public sphere to a degree that has not been known for some time. For many people, this has been triggered by the debate over whether the right to marry should be extended to same-sex couples as well as by other issues, such as the right of same-sex couples to adopt children. Predictably, religious leaders and institutions have voiced their positions on these topics, although there has hardly been a consensus opinion, even within the same religious tradition.Even still, the media have portrayed the debate as an irreconcilable impasse between the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities on the one side and the religions on the other, as if there is no common ground on which to stand. This is indeed regrettable in an environment of heightened tensions and finger-pointing in all directions. HRWF believes that an approach that is based on internationally recognised standards of human rights can be a starting point for a constructive exchange on these issues. At the very least, the recognition of our common humanity and shared dignity should lead to a more respectful dialogue and mend bridges that have been damaged during the recent debate. This paper is presented as one contribution to this effort. It seeks to examine the key events and movements that have shaped the social history of LGBT people in Europe, the international human rights framework that has been erected to protect them and some of the shared values that can be meaningfully leveraged in order to move forward. Finally, recommendations are proposed for guiding policy makers, religious leaders, civil society leaders, educators and the media to affect positive change in their respective spheres of influence.