Speech by minister Van Engelshoven at the ILGA-Europe donor conference in Brussels
Speech by minister Van Engelshoven at the ILGA-Europe donor conference, on October 23rd, in Brussels
Dear Friends,
‘Commitment is an act, not a word’,
the French writer and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once wrote.
He was convinced that words should have consequences.
That they should be more than just air and sound.
I have to agree with him.
But before I elaborate on that, I would like to thank ILGA-Europe and The Global Philanthropy Project for inviting me to kick off this donor conference.
This is truly a great honour.
I would also like to thank ING Bank for their hospitality.
They very generously offered their head office in Brussels as the venue for this conference.
And now back to Sartre.
To words and the actions that follow.
We have come together here to bolster our European LGBTI networks,
because we believe in equality, diversity and non-discrimination.
Because these are values that we – as Europeans – cherish.
Through our European networks we contribute to efficient and effective transfer of knowledge, in all areas involved in the rights of LGBTI persons,
from legislation and practical policies to awareness raising.
IGLYO-Europe for instance, has developed a useful tool that ministers of Education can use in developing LGBTI-inclusive programmes for schools.
Another example is the cooperation between ILGA-Europe, Transgender Europe and the European Governmental LGBTI Focal Points Network.
This collaboration has created many positive changes for intersectionality, intersex persons and demedicalisation of transgender persons.
So we can safely conclude that these networks contribute to LGBTI equality in Europe, in policy and legislation as well as in practice.
However, we still have a long way to go.
Although we are seeing progress in some countries, such as India, where same sex relations were legalised last month, there are other countries where life for LGBTI individuals is becoming more and more difficult.
We don’t even have to look very far, because troubling developments are occurring right here in Europe.
On the fringes of the continent, in countries such as Belarus and Ukraine, but even in EU member states like Hungary and Slovakia.
And as long as we haven’t been able to eradicate violence against LGBTI persons in our own countries, words aren’t sufficient.
Which means we have to take action.
I consider this donor conference a great opportunity to join forces.
To show Europe that we are serious about fighting LGBTI discrimination.
So I call upon my colleagues to join me.
To join me in voicing our concerns to the countries that disregard equal rights for LGBTI people.
To join me in supporting European LGBTI networks with resources.
And to join me in putting this principle into practice.
That is why I will personally write a letter to all my colleagues of the leading member states asking them to commit themselves financially to this cause.
To put their money where their mouth is.
And I very much hope you will join me too!
Thank you very much for listening.