NELFA PRESS RELEASE:
EU elections 2019: Vote for rainbow families! – NELFA asks MEP candidates to show their support for LGBTIQ* parents and their children within the next legislature
The Network of European LGBTIQ* Families Associations, NELFA, has just started its EU elections campaign. It’s about the simple question: “What will you do for LGBTIQ* families?”. The campaign is addressed to all MEP candidates within the European Union. Rainbow families should know who will support them openly and actively during the next legislature from 2019 to 2024. Therefore, NELFA has elaborated a questionnaire.
NELFA President Eleni Maravelia says, “Within the last years, the European Parliament has already raised its voice for rainbow families on different occasions. We appreciate this very much and would like to rely on the backing also in the future. For sure, LGBTIQ* people with children may be a less important group of voters. And family matters may be a nearly exclusive competence of Member States. But the EU must guarantee at least the compliance of national laws with the Fundamental Rights Charter (i.e. non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity) and the citizen’s freedom of movement. These are core values for absolutely everyone, regardless of the number of people concerned.”
NELFA Vice President Björn Sieverding states, “Currently, we have a legal patchwork situation within the European Union. Until now, rainbow families – children and parents – can lose a lot of their rights only by crossing a border, even their legally established familial ties. In our campaign, we confront EU politicians with this reality and ask them to promote a sustainable change. It begins by answering our six questions and could lead to a clear stance for a mutual recognition of the content of civil documents like marriage or birth certificates.”
Additionally, NELFA supports the current EU election campaign of ILGA-Europe (#ComeOut4EU) and COFACE Families Europe (#AllFamiliesSpeakOut). You can find all information on NELFA’s specially designed webpage: http://nelfa.org/eu-elections. Our hashtag for further social media news about the campaign is #VoteRainbowFamilies.
NELFA is the European platform of LGBTIQ* families associations, bringing together LGBTIQ* parents and parents-to-be from all over Europe. NELFA currently represents 34 organisations in 28 European countries with more than 20,000 members. NELFA is a member of ILGA-Europe, Transgender Europe and COFACE Families Europe. Website: http://www.nelfa.org. Leaflet: http://bit.ly/2rJW0us. Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2Ppsxlf.
Further contacts: Eleni Maravelia: +34 666 862 034, Björn Sieverding: +32 498 70 80 75
