Tag Archives: Europe

Sexual + Gender Minorities

U.K. News | LGB

New poll indicates significant support in Northern Ireland for legalization of same-sex marriage
  • The latest Ipsos MORI poll indicates 68% of adults in Northern Ireland support same-sex marriage, even higher than the 62.1% in favor in the Republic of Ireland at the time of its recently passed marriage referendum.
  • Support is highest among 16- to 34-year-olds at 82%, while 75% of those between 35 and 54 and 47% of those over 50 expressed favor.
  • Northern Ireland remains the only country in the British Isles where same-sex marriage is still illegal, with the constituent components of the U.K. left to establish their own marriage laws.

“The people have spoken and it’s clear they don’t want Northern Ireland to be left behind on marriage equality. … Continuing resistance to bringing Northern Ireland in step with all our neighbours is unacceptable. It’s high time Northern Ireland said a big ‘we do too’ to equality.”

Read the full story at the Belfast Telegraph.

(Image Credit: Kevin Scott/Presseye, via The Belfast Telegraph)

Nationality + Migration

Italy News | Migrants & Refugees

Sardinia sees its own needy rallying to support newly arrived refugees
  • After 90 refugees arrived in one town in the Carbonia-Iglesias province in the southwest of the island, residents quickly brought food, personal hygiene items, cigarettes, phone cards, and more in support.
  • Youth unemployment in the province has soared to 73.9% following the collapse of the area’s coal mining industry and the closure of an aluminum factory.
  • With employment prospects low for the new arrivals, the number of refugees has dwindled to 48 as they depart for places with better opportunity.

“The people here are the most wonderful I have ever met in my life. … My husband died during the crossing. I am pregnant and it is by the grace of God that we are here. But I need a transfer to a place that is more developed.”

Read the full story at The Local.

Gender, Sexual + Gender Minorities

Spain News | Gay Men

A decade after same-sex marriage legalized in Spain, couple faces ongoing familial insecurity as legal challenges to their parental rights continue
  • The couple had twins via surrogacy in 2013, but Spain’s National Institute of Social Security (INSS) denied one of the fathers’ request for leave benefits specifically due to the method of conception.
  • The administration argued that surrogate parenting is excluded from leave benefits for fathers because it entails none of the burdens that childbirth, adoption, or foster care do.
  • Two years later, a court sided with the new parents, ordering the INSS to pay the couple the withheld benefits, and after an appeal led to an additional ruling in favor of the couple, the INSS is appealing to the Supreme Court.

«Está claro que yo no he parido ni adoptado a mis hijos, pero ¿cómo vamos a conciliar nuestra vida familiar y laboral? ¿Pretende el INSS que renuncie al cuidado de mis hijos o que renuncie a pagar mis facturas e hipoteca?»

Translation: “It’s clear that I haven’t given birth or adopted my sons, but how are we going to reconcile our family and work life? Does the INSS expect me to give up caring for my sons or give up paying my bills and mortgage?”

Read the full story at La Verdad (in Spanish).

(Image Credit: Pablo Sánchez/AGM, via La Verdad)

Nationality + Migration

Italy News | Refugees

Italian mayors ban migrants from entering towns without health certificate
  • The mayors of six cities in the northwest Savona province have outlawed entrance of migrants in their town unless certified as disease-free.
  • Despite the lack of major disease outbreaks since the arrival of nearly 68,000 migrants in Italy this year, mayors have claimed concern over public health in order to avoid having to take in migrants and refugees.
  • Community organizations have slammed the policies as discriminatory, with instances having taken place of Milan bus drivers declaring refusal to transport migrants because of so-called public health concerns.

“The law cannot be used in a discriminatory way, which is something local leaders should know.”

Read the full story at The Local.

Nationality + Migration

Europe Research | Migrants & Refugees

More than 135,000 refugees and migrants entered Europe in the first half of 2015
  • According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the number is an 80% increase from the same period in 2014.
  • More than 1,000 enter the continent each day via the western Balkans alone, now the biggest point of entry.
  • Syria accounted for the largest number of refugees at 44,000, followed by Eritrea and Afghanistan.

“As arrivals increase, the reception capacity and conditions remain seriously inadequate. … This is a regional problem that needs a regional response and regional solidarity.”

Read the full story at Reuters.

(Image Credit: Antonio Parrinello/Reuters)

Nationality + Migration

Netherlands News | Black Aruban

Public assembly banned in Hague neighborhood as unrest swells following death of unarmed Aruban man during police arrest
  • Mitch Henriquez, a resident of the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba, died of apparent asphyxiation from a chokehold while being arrested by The Hague police on Sunday after allegedly falsely claiming he had a gun.
  • Following more than 60 arrests and escalating violence, the mayor issued a temporary ban on public gatherings of more than three people and “dangerous objects” in the predominantly immigrant Schilderswijk district.
  • The Hague police department has come under fire from rights organizations, journalism investigations, and community members for its targeting of immigrants and foreigners.

Read the full story at Reuters.

Nationality + Migration

Netherlands Research | Immigrants

Amsterdam finds a quarter of immigrant residents dissatisfied with bilingual education in the city
  • The city council conducted a survey on the education of international workers’ children, finding the students distributed amongst traditional Dutch schools (45%), international schools (40%), and bilingual-stream schools (15%).
  • The city’s international schools were found to have significant barriers to entry including long waiting lists and high fees, with only 20% of employers providing financial assistance.
  • Primary schools will soon be able to offer 15% of lessons in English, French, or German in an effort to promote mutilingualism among young children.

Read the full story at DutchNews.

(Image Credit: File photo/DutchNews)

Sexual + Gender Minorities

U.K. News | LGBT

Hundreds of thousands take part in what may be the largest London Pride yet
  • Organizers estimate 30,000 attended the parade, which was centered on the theme “Pride Heroes” and included a tribute to famed British mathematician Alan Turing.
  • The approximately 950,000 who have participated in London Pride events throughout the week have helped shatter the event’s participation record, set last year at 750,000.
  • Saturday’s parade included participants from the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), whose inclusion had been a source of controversy as the party’s political positions put it at odds with many in the LGBT community.

“Given the huge impact Turing had on our industry and on the lives of the public who rely so heavily on technology, he was an obvious choice for our Pride Hero. We’re honoured to be walking with his family and proud to be taking part in London Pride.”

Read the full story at the Independent.

(Image Credit: via the Independent)

Race + Color + Ethnicity

France News | Black & Arab

Paris appeals court finds discriminatory police tactics violated minorities’ rights, reversing lower court’s decision
  • The court ruled that in five of the 13 cases on appeal, police carried out discriminatory “stop-and-frisk” ID checks that resulted in no legal action against the individuals, all of Arab or African descent.
  • In addition to awarding damages to the plaintiffs, the ruling also requires police to record and distribute the objective grounds on which stops are initiated, as the ID checks have been difficult to file complaints over because they have not been recorded.
  • Of concern to legal and community observers is that the other eight cases were found to be legal because the checks took place in areas where behavior deemed suspicious by police is more likely to indicate illegal activity, i.e. in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

“We struck at the heart of the system by attacking the state. … This is a big victory for our clients. But it’s also a big victory for everyone, notably young people, black or North African, who each day are controlled (by police) mainly because of the color of their skin.”

Read the full story from AP at Yahoo! News.

(Image Credit: Francois Mori/AP, via Yahoo! News)

Age, Gender, Religion + Belief

Bosnia and Herzegovina News | Muslim Men

The Islamic State targets Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina in latest recruitment efforts
  • A recently released recruitment video shows Bosnian IS fighters calling on Muslims from the Balkans–and specifically in Bosnia and Herzegovina–to launch attacks in their home cities and emigrate to fight in the Middle East.
  • Young men in Bosnia are particularly vulnerable to such recruitment efforts, where they face a 63% youth unemployment rate, precarious social conditions, and poor prospects.
  • Security and counterterrorism efforts have been largely uncoordinated and lacking a grand strategy, even in the wake of one radical’s attack on a police station in late April that left one officer and the gunman dead.

“Returning foreign fighters from Syria and Iraq – battle-hardened, skilled in handling arms and explosives, and ideologically radicalised – pose a direct threat not only to the security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also of the region and beyond.”

Read the full story at the Guardian.

(Image Credit: Al Hayat, via the Guardian)

Sexual + Gender Minorities

Czech Republic Research | GLB

Nearly half of Czechs support same-sex marriage in their country
  • According to a new poll from the Public Opinion Research Centre (CVVM), 49% of Czechs support the legalization of same-sex marriage, while 47% oppose it.
  • 75% support the establishment of some form of legal recognition for same-sex couples.
  • Despite the support for same-sex marriage, 49% still remain opposed to same-sex couples adopting children, although the 44% in support is an increase from 19% a decade ago.

Read the full story at PinkNews.

Nationality + Migration, Race + Color + Ethnicity, Religion + Belief

Italy News | Refugees & Interfaith

In Milan, Holocaust memorial doubles as accommodations for African refugees
  • With the help of Jewish, Catholic, and Muslim community partners and volunteers, the Holocaust Memorial has dedicated part of its space to sheltering the refugees, providing food, beds, and washing facilities.
  • The Memorial stands at the site of Platform 21, the only remaining intact deportation site from the Holocaust that had part of its plan converted into a museum in 2013.
  • The Italian Jewish community–including famed Holocaust survivor Liliana Serge–has drawn parallels between the situations and indifference faced by Holocaust-era Jews and African migrants fleeing violence, persecution, and hardship.

“When I was expelled from school, very few people noticed that my seat had suddenly been emptied; very few people didn’t turn their faces when they ran into me on the streets. Today I witness with astonishment what is happening to these migrants who are seeking help from our opulent Europe, where people waste food and are obsessed with buying new things even if their houses are already full.”

Read the full story at the Times of Israel.

(Image Credit: Rossella Tercatin/The Times of Israel)

Sexual + Gender Minorities
Everyday discrimination and persecution blight on progress for Britain’s rural LGBT individuals
  • Permeation and permanence of bullying and other acts of intimidation in daily life leads to fear and alienation for LGBT people in rural areas, according to a hate crime researcher.
  • This fear leads to the under-reporting of hate crimes, with discrepancies between police reports and surveys of hate incidents indicating as many as 35,000 cases going unreported.
  • Lack of community, fear of being outed, communities’ intolerance of difference, and age all contribute to individuals’ vulnerability in rural areas, leading to social disengagement.

“We are a country with proud traditions of tolerance and respect but we must not let important progress in areas such as same-sex marriage mask the acute and continuing challenges that still remain. Researchers in today’s report were told of victims’ fear of not being taken seriously, how they were scared of being ‘outed’ and suspicion and distrust of the authorities. We must all redouble our efforts, and work together to give LGBT communities a stronger voice and put an end to the hatred that is a blight on modern society.”

Read the full story at the Guardian.

(Image Credit: Jose Jacome/EPA, via the Guardian)

Religion + Belief
Pope Francis apologizes to Waldensian Protestants for historical persecution by the Catholic Church
  • During the first-ever visit by a Pope to a Waldesnian church, the Pope asked for forgiveness for the persecution of the sect that included a papal order of extermination in the late 15th century and the execution of 1,700 Waldensians in the 17th century.
  • The Waldensians now number roughly 30,000 worldwide, located mostly in Italy and Latin America.
  • The outreach comes ahead of the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation in 2017, for which the various sects of Christianity have yet to announce any joint plans.

“On behalf of the Catholic Church, I ask forgiveness for the un-Christian and even inhumane positions and actions taken against you historically. … In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us!”

Read the full story at Reuters.

(Image Credit: Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters)

Sexual + Gender Minorities
Thousands celebrate LGBT Pride in Latvia despite fears of attacks
  • Held for the first time in Latvian capital Riga, EuroPride saw an estimated 5,000 attendees in the former Soviet nation.
  • Police arrested three for minor offenses, but no major incidents marred the celebration.
  • The event’s success was markedly different from the Pride march in Riga a decade ago, which saw violent attacks from protesters.

“It’s a very significant thing for Latvia, a former Soviet state, to be hosting EuroPride for the first time. In future we hope to see more long-term commitment to equal rights but we’re pleased the police have been working very closely with the organisers to ensure everything goes off smoothly.”

Read the full story at PinkNews.

(Image Credit: via PinkNews)