🌈 #LoveWhereILive live debate for LGBTIQ Freedom Cities and Regions at 18:00 CEST tonight

Hello!

Over the last months, we have continued witnessing an alarming backlash against LGBTIQ rights all over Europe, with some right-wing governments, such as in Poland and Hungary, challenging the freedom and respect of LGBTIQ people. In March, the European Parliament took an historical step by declaring the EU an “LGBTIQ Freedom Zone”.

One week later, the Lisbon City Council did the same at local level, sending a clear message: if we really want Europe to be a place in which the fundamental rights of everybody are respected, we need concrete action on the ground in our regions and cities.

🏳️‍🌈 Together with Rainbow Rose and the Party of European Socialists, we would like to invite you today at 18:00 CEST for an online debate #LoveWhereILive | Progressives for LGBTIQ Freedom Cities and Regions.

🤲 We are delighted to have with us Helena Dalli, European Commissioner for Equality, Iratxe García Pérez, President of the S&D Group in the European Parliament, Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Mayor of Malmö (Sweden), Maxi Ines Carl, Local councillor of Hannover (Germany), Umberto Costantini, Mayor of Spilamberto (Italy), Jack Lewis, Massachusetts State Representative (United States), and many more. The event will be moderated by Rainbow Rose President, Camila Garfias, and the State Secretary of the Brussels-Capital Region and PES Group member Pascal Smet.

✍️ Register for the event on our website, follow it live on our Facebook page, and share your comments and questions using the hashtag #LoveWhereILive. ​

Progressive mayors from Lisbon to Mannheim, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Tuzla, have great #ProgressiveLocalStories to tell on how they promote LGBTIQ rights every day in their cities.

Discover them here and share your stories with us!

Thanks to our #LoveWhereILive campaign, the cities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, among others (Spain), Chiaravalle (Italy), Farciennes and Liège (Belgium), St. Pölten (Austria), Saarbrücken (Germany) and eight municipalities across Luxembourg have declared themselves LGBTIQ Freedom Zones, following the example of Lisbon (Portugal) and Vienna (Austria). Motions have been presented at the regional level in Brussels (Belgium) and Marche (Italy) and at city level in Mannheim (Germany), and we expect more signs of support in the upcoming weeks from many other local and regional governments.

“We are proud that progressives in our towns, cities and regions are taking the fight for equality to local communities, showing clearly that we stand for diverse and vibrant societies where the rights of all are respected,” said our President Christophe Rouillon.

Join us and declare your city or region an LGBTIQ Freedom Zone! Download here the draft council resolution in your language.

❤️ Let’s raise our voices, let’s stand up together for LGBTIQ rights 💪

Best wishes,

The PES Group Communications Team