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Speech by Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Minister Heunicke,

Secretary General Ellemann,

Ministers,

The Mayor of Budapest, Mr Karácsony,

Distinguished guests,

Mr Hocaoğulları,

Dear friends,

In 1951, a former soldier – a GI - came to Copenhagen.

She was American, but her background – her parents – were Danish.

She came to Denmark, because it was here, in Copenhagen, that she found doctors who were both sympathetic, and who could help her.

She chose her name, Christine, in honour of one of them, Dr Christian Hamburger.

Christine Jorgensen underwent, if not the first, certainly one of the first, successful sex affirmation surgeries.

She went on to be a role model, a spokesperson, and an activist for the rights of transgender people.

In her autobiography, she spoke of her period of depression, but ultimately her positive attitude.

“The answer…” she wrote, “must not lie in sleeping pills … or in jail sentences, but rather in life and the freedom to live it.”

Life, and the freedom to live it.

That is what we all want, regardless of our sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics.

The freedom to live our lives without fear.

And it is fitting that this conference should be held in Denmark, the country that not only welcomed and assisted Christine Jorgensen, but which has been a pioneer in LGBTI rights.

It was here that Axel and Eigil Axgil became the first same-sex couple in the world to receive legal recognition, in 1989.

They had been engaged for 39 years.

Denmark’s registered partnership legislation blazed the trail that was followed by many countries throughout Europe.

And much of it was driven by Axel.

In 1948, he started the organisation that became LGBT Danmark.

That was even before the foundation of the Council of Europe.

Friends,

One might think that 78 years later, we would have reached a place of equality.

That everyone might have the freedom to live their lives.

But, across Europe, LGBTI people face violence, discrimination and hate.

This is amplified by disinformation and artificial intelligence.

It is driven by anti-rights movements that aim to scapegoat, to undermine trust, and to limit participation in civil society.

And when individuals are silenced, excluded or made unsafe, not only do they suffer, but our whole democracy is actually weakened.

I believe, and the guiding principle for the entire Council of Europe is that human rights apply to all.

That democracy is only possible with a foundation of human rights and the rule of law.

That’s why the erosion of rights for LGBTI people has direct consequences for everyone – for all of us.

But we are seeing progress.

Just last week, ILGA–Europe issued its annual Rainbow Map.

Some countries had moved up in the rankings, demonstrating their work to improve policies and drive change.

Unfortunately, though, even where governments and communities are doing their best, too often real-life experience come into conflict with the law.

In Spain, ranked number one on the Rainbow Map this year – which is excellent – but at the same time assaults against LGBTI people are up 15 percent from 2024.

Because, in a world where there are few barriers to algorithms, authoritarian forces embolden violence everywhere.

At the same time, it is true that in some of our member states, reform has been stalled, or even reversed.

But in October last year something important happened, as all 46 member states of the Council of Europe adopted the first comprehensive international legal instrument specifically dedicated to the human rights of intersex persons. 

So change is absolutely.

In the Council of Europe, our values and fundamental principles are the bottom-line.

And we will always support member States in turning these commitments into reality.

And we will always work to ensure that human rights are not mere words on paper, but a lived reality.

That’s why we do monitoring, and also offer advice and assistance to our member states.

And right now, we are developing our first Strategy for Equal Rights for LGBTI People in Europe.

It is a framework for collective action that will be operational next year.

Through it we will continue to set standards, to monitor, and to engage in a spirit of genuine cooperation.

Only by working together we will ensure that there is no discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics.

And that’s why equality policies must remain central to our democratic infrastructure.

And they must be acted on.

Dear friends,

Interviewed before his long-awaited partnership ceremony, Axel Axgil urged campaigners never to give up.

“Be open,” he said. “Come out. Keep fighting.”

We must keep pushing for progress, otherwise nothing will happen – or we will start stagnating.

Let us therefore today take the lead in shaping an open, inclusive and accepting environment in which every individual is treated with respect –

And allowed to live the life they were meant to live –

And able to contribute to their community – to the benefit of all of us.

Let us make crystal clear the extraordinary benefits that diversity brings to all of us and to all of our societies.  

And let us not forget that all of us here today have unrivalled knowledge and expertise. 

So, let’s listen to each other and work together. 

To find the best solutions. 

Finally, let me again thank all of you for your extremely valuable efforts, your commitment and dedication.  

You make a difference where you live and in your communities. 

Again, I thank you!