European Commission presents LGBTQI+ Equality Strategy for 2026-2030

The European Commission has presented its new LGBTQI+ Equality Strategy for 2026-2030. The document is based on the principles of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in the founding treaties of the European Union and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The strategy aims to ensure that LGBTQI+ people can live their identities safely and freely, and is seen as a document that directly affects the sustainability of legal and institutional protection for queer communities.

The Commission stressed that equality and non-discrimination are fundamental to the democratic sustainability, social justice and economic strength of the EU. The first LGBTQI+ equality strategy for 2020-2025 has put forward a number of legislative initiatives and supported civil society organisations through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme. The new strategy aims to continue to take action in this direction.

The European Commission presented the new strategy on social media as follows:

Some call it difference. 

We call it love.❤️🏳️‍🌈🇪🇺

The document notes that the visibility of LGBTQI+ people has increased in recent years, and according to a special Eurobarometer survey for 2023, 75% of people in the EU said they were comfortable working with a lesbian, gay or bisexual colleague, and 59% said they accepted their child being in a same-sex relationship. In addition, according to the third LGBTQI+ survey for 2023 by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), 37% of respondents said they had faced discrimination in the last 12 months. This figure is particularly high among trans women (64%), trans men (63%) and intersex people (56%).

These figures show that despite increased visibility, queers still face systemic risks. Discrimination, social stigmatization and the spread of “anti-gender” narratives increase the risk of LGBTQI+ identities being framed as contested or dangerous. The “spread of anti-LGBTIQ+ narratives” mentioned in the strategy points to concerns about the political debate surrounding queer rights. Such rhetoric can lead to LGBTQI+ people being presented as objects of ideological debate rather than as equal citizens.

Consequently, the LGBTQI+ Equality Strategy for 2026–2030 aims to strengthen the institutional framework for the safety, visibility and legal protection of queer people. However, at the same time, the existing indicators of discrimination and the spread of “anti-gender” rhetoric show that the implementation and protection of legal guarantees for queer communities in real life remains a pressing issue.

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