City of Luxembourg's commitment
In all EU Member States, LGBTIQ+ people are still facing considerable discrimination in all areas of life – in particular at school and at work – and suffer a great deal of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, both online and in the physical world.
The City of Luxembourg, which has a long-established reputation as an open-minded and tolerant institution, believes that the fight against inequality in the EU is a matter of collective responsibility, and requires collective efforts at all levels of governance, in particular on the part of local and regional authorities, which have a key role to play in this regard.
Municipal council resolution declaring the Luxembourg City an "LGBTIQ+ freedom zone"
In response to the discrimination suffered by the LGBTIQ+ community in certain regions of Eastern Europe, against a broader backdrop of inequality and assaults on these people, and in the wake of the resolution of the European Parliament on 11 March 2021, declaring the EU an LGBTIQ+ freedom zone, the municipal council, in its resolution of 18 June 2021:
- declared Luxembourg City an "LGBTIQ+ Freedom Zone";
- committed to implementing public policy geared towards promoting and defending the rights of LGBTIQ+ people, and condemned the mechanisms of structural discrimination;
- decided to adorn the City Hall in the colours of the rainbow flag during Pride Month.
Motion on "Equal opportunities in Luxembourg City", adopted by the municipal council
On 28 February 2022, the municipal council unanimously adopted the motion on "Equal opportunities in Luxembourg City", which proposed to:
- change the name of the advisory commission on "gender equality" to the advisory commission on "equal opportunities" in the municipal council's internal regulations;
- invite the college of aldermen to:
- rename the post of "gender equality officer" to "equal opportunities officer";
- to provide the "equal opportunities officer" with the resources required to carry out their important function.
City of Luxembourg initiatives to promote LGBTIQ+ issues
In addition to the above-mentioned decisions, the City of Luxembourg has undertaken the following initiatives to promote LGBTIQ+ issues:
- Awarding the Anne Beffort Prize to the Centre LGBTIQ+ CIGALE in 2021 for its tireless engagement and actions to promote equal treatment for the LGBTIQ+ community.
- Providing the CID | Fraen an Gender library with educational materials on the subject of intersexuality, in collaboration with the association ITGL (Intersex & Transgender Lëtzebuerg).
- Designing a carry-case for the CID Fraen an Gender's book collection entitled, "Alles Familie!!" – which explores the topic of family diversity – and making it available to schools.
- Active participation in the LGBTIQ+ working group run by the business network, IMS – Inspiring more sustainability, which seeks to raise awareness of LGBTIQ+ issues and promote equality in businesses
- Holding the first edition of the Luxembourg Pride Run in 2023, a footrace with option to run either 5 km or 10 km. This event is a unique opportunity to come out and support the LGBTIQ+ community by participating in a festive, inclusive race.
Prospects
- Mainstreaming of LGBTIQ+ issues in the 2023–2026 municipal action plan for equal opportunities
- Collaboration with associations advocating for LGBTIQ+ issues for the purpose of implementing one-off projects
- Diversity training for municipal staff
