PES and Rainbow Rose welcome German vote, host major LGBTI conference in Madrid

PES and Rainbow Rose welcome German vote, host major LGBTI conference in Madrid

The conference, presented by PES’s LGBTI organisation Rainbow Rose, brings together campaigners, elected politicians and representatives of civil society to focus on hot topics in the campaign for equal rights.

It comes only a few hours after the Bundestag passed a historic law to legalise equal marriage across Germany for the first time — an initiative of PES member party Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (German Social Democrats).

Entitled ‘A global perspective on LGBTI rights, our achievements and tomorrow’s challenges’, the PES conference is kindly co-hosted by member party PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) at its headquarters in Madrid.

Prominent speakers at the event include:

  • Daniele Viotti MEP, co-president of the European Parliament’s LGBTI intergroup
  • Mia Sundelin, Rainbow Rose president
  • Marije Laffeber, PES deputy secretary general
  • Adriana Lasta, PSOE vice-secretary general
  • João Duarte Albuquerque, president of Young European Socialists

Mia Sundelin said:

“Socialists believe that respecting and promoting LGBTI rights is a fundamental part of building a better society, and achievements and best practices should be shared among everyone in order to promote universal human rights.

“That’s why we were determined not only to participate in the WorldPride festival, but also to organise a conference focused on our achievements and the challenges we face regarding the advance of LGBTI rights in Europe and around the world.”

The conference is hosted by PSOE and kindly supported by the UK Labour party, with contributions, from Young European Socialists, the International Union of Socialist Youth and the European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity.

On the equal marriage vote in Germany, PES secretary general and Bundestag member Achim Post said:

“I am proud that, by approving marriage equality today, Germany has taken another important step on the road to full equality of rights and opportunities for same-sex couples. I am also proud that this is thanks to a bold campaign by the SPD and was passed with cross-party support.”

Check more photos of the Conference in our Media Center