Strasbourg, 21/6/2012 - Recent months have seen renewed efforts in some Council of Europe member states to silence voices against homophobia and transphobia. Laws banning information about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inter-sex (LGBTI) issues mark a worrying step back towards a bygone era when homosexuals were treated like criminals. These efforts to curtail freedom of expression and assembly run starkly against international and European human rights standards, says Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in his latest Human Rights Comment published today.

The targets of these measures have not only been LGBTI activists, but also those expressing solidarity with their struggle for equality and others who have sought to disseminate factual information about sexual orientation and gender identity. (more...)