Switzerland will host the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. But which city in the Helvetic Confederation will welcome the thousands of artists, media people and fans? Geneva, Sankt Gallen, Basel and Fribourg have already expressed their interest. Other obvious options are Zurich and Bern. And why not Lausanne? Swiss broadcaster Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) also…
Tag: United Nations
Which flags get to fly at Antwerp City Hall?
Today is the National Holiday of Belgium. On 21 July 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha took the constitutional oath to become King of the Belgians. But I want to look at something else.
ILGA WORLD | Despite more legal protections for LGBTI people, stark opposition has been a recurring theme in debates in every UN member State
‘Laws on Us‘ is the new landmark report by worldwide LGBTQIA+ advocacy organisation ILGA World, mapping laws affecting LGBTI communities across the world. Together with the ILGA World Database, it follows in the footsteps of previous landmark reports by the organisation, namely, the ‘State-Sponsored Homophobia‘ and the ‘Trans Legal Mapping Report‘, and equally encompasses issues…
ILGA-EUROPE | Alarming surge in transphobic speech across Europe sparks concern for June 2024 EU elections
Ahead of the elections throughout the European Union coming June, a new ILGA-Europe report shows a stark rise in anti-LGBTQIA+, and in particular, transphobic statements from politicians across Europe.
Pride movement in Europe expecting increased hostility
The European Pride Organisers Association (EPOA), representing Europe‘s LGBTQIA+ pride organisations has told the United Nations (UN) that it expects increased hostility in the coming years, unless there is a change in political mood across the continent.
REPORT | More LGBT and gender-diverse people were arrested and prosecuted in 2023
Arrests and prosecutions for consensual same-sex sexual acts, also known as gay sex, and on the grounds of diverse gender expressions, continued to take place across the world in 2023 and in previous years, a report by ILGA World revealed in November.
HOLLAND | A walk in Rotterdam
For years, I have been celebrating my birthday abroad, unless it was impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. In June 2023, Steve and I went to Rotterdam in the Netherlands in a deal combining a dinner at Restaurant Fred and an overnight stay at Marriott Rotterdam including a champagne breakfast.
Europeans visit other European countries over 7 nights on average
In the COVID-19 pandemic stricken year of 2021, tourism trips made by residents of the European Union to another EU Member State had an average duration longer than one week – 7.9 nights – ranging from 4.3 nights for trips to Czechia and Luxembourg to 11.3 nights for trips to Romania.
ILGA-EUROPE | 2022 deadliest rise in homophobic and transphobic violence in over a decade
Twelve years into annually reporting on the human rights situation of LGBTQIA+ people, Europe’s leading LGBTQIA+ equality organisation finds that pervasive hate speech across the region has led to life or death consequences.
Kazerne Dossin museum in Mechelen
In April Tim, Danijel and I visited Kazerne Dossin in Mechelen. A museum dedicated to Belgium‘s involvement to the persecutions during World War II.
Trip By Trip 