NELFA PRESS RELEASE:
Children’s rights at risk – rainbow families need more protection! – NELFA calls emphatically on a better recognition in Europe and inclusive education
The Network of European LGBTIQ* Families Associations, NELFA, is very worried about the recent developments in Bulgaria and Italy. The Supreme Administrative Court in Sofia decided to leave “Baby Sara” at risk – against the CJEU judgement in December 2021. And the government in Rome forces liberal cities to stop their co-mother recognition.
NELFA’s new President Björn Sieverding says, “EU Members States must respect the private life of people, promote the best interests of a child and accept alternative family concepts including LGBTIQ* parents. A Bulgarian court just decided to leave a young child at stake because it didn’t accept legal parenthood by two lesbian mothers established abroad. And Italy replaces reason (the recognition of rainbow families as they are) with ideology (the only valid family is the one that consists of father, mother, and child). Our position is very clear: this needs to be corrected immediately. Rainbow families are families. Full stop!”
NELFA’s Vice President Dominique Boren adds, “NELFA will continue to convince governments, particularly in the EU, to ensure free movement and children’s rights for rainbow families. It’s time for supportive Member States to come out and to act as stakeholders for children with LGBTIQ* parents. The EU Commission has published a legislative proposal on parenthood recognition and it’s more urgent than ever to promote this comprehensive piece of paper that won’t hurt anyone but will better the situation for many.”
NELFA has decided at its Annual General Meeting in Madrid to work unyieldingly for the mutual recognition of parenthood (EU) and a rainbow families’ inclusive education. We want to make schools safe for our children. Another objective is to seek for public funding. The new Board consists of: President Björn Sieverding (Germany), Vice President Dominique Boren (France), Secretary Daniel Martinovic (Croatia), Co-Secretary Maša Jerićević Šušteršič (Slovenia), Treasurer Christoph R. Alms (Germany), Eleni Maravelia (Spain), Genny Sangiovanni (Italy) Magda Zawora (Poland), Sara del Olmo (Spain), Berta Scerri (Malta), Christian Gladel (The Netherlands) and Kristian Jakobsen (Norway).
NELFA is the European platform of LGBTIQ* families associations, bringing together LGBTIQ* parents and parents-to-be from all over Europe. NELFA currently represents 46 organisations in 33 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: Björn Sieverding (President): +49 179 5277 543
