The appeal for the EP election campaign free from discrimination and intolerance

On Wednesday 19 March, ILGA-Europe and ENAR (European Network Against Racism) are launching an Appeal for an European election campaign free from discrimination and intolerance with a press conference in the European Parliament. This Appeal is an important symbol, but it is also more than a symbol.

The 2014 European Parliament elections are taking place in a context marked by the crisis and the rise of extremist parties in different parts of the European Union. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people are often targeted and instrumentalised by hostile statements. Migrants, asylum seekers, Roma, people of African descent, Muslims, Jews and many other ethnic or religious minorities suffer from very similar attacks.

ENAR and ILGA-Europe have decided to react together. Common actions will promote and reinforce solidarity between the respective communities. ENAR and ILGA_Europe will monitor the electoral campaign and react to any attempts to instigate incomprehension and hostility between them.

The Appeal (available from next Wednesday) will form the benchmark of this monitoring. On 19 March, the main European political parties are joining ILGA-Europe and ENAR to launch an Appeal for an election campaign free from discrimination and intolerance, to combat this threat, to reassert the EU’s democratic and inclusive values, to fight against incitement to discrimination, prejudice, stigmatisation and confusion.

Read more at ilga-europe.org