Ahead of the upcoming elections, Brussels’ RainbowHouse umbrella organisation submitted a significant memorandum highlighting Belgium’s need to remain at the forefront of advancing the rights and interests of the LGBTQ community.
RainbowHouse houses roughly 70 (both French and Dutch-speaking) LGBTQ associations. After extensive consultations, they collectively identified key points for future governments to address, in order to maintain Belgium's progressive role in championing queer community rights.
"Doing nothing is going backwards. With the 2024 elections nearing, we demand that no minority or marginalised group be overlooked," said RainbowHouse, calling for increased vigilance from future policymakers. To avert a backslide in LGBTQ rights, political parties and governments must "continue to take action at every level of power."
Five themes
Specifically, the organisation's demands cover five themes: health, discrimination, youth, family and adoption, asylum and migration, and equal opportunities.
In terms of health, the associations primarily advocate for equal and fair access to healthcare services. They specifically recommend that healthcare staff be trained in gender-inclusive principles, and that concrete solutions be developed to combat violence against the LGBTQ community within the healthcare sector.
For asylum and migration, among other priorities, the memorandum champions a "redoubling of efforts" by the federal government to enable individuals fleeing their home countries due to their sexual orientation or gender identity to build meaningful lives in Belgium.
