The new LGBTIQ Anti-rumours Toolkit was presented today, to municipalities from Europe and beyond, at the 14th Annual Meeting of the Rainbow Cities Network. Developed by the Council of Europe’s SOGIESC Unit in collaboration with Diversit, it provides practical guidance for local public authorities and civil society organisations addressing prejudice and discriminatory narratives affecting LGBTIQ people.
After the success of the original Anti-rumours methodology, initially designed to address prejudice related to sociocultural origins and ethnic minorities, this approach has proven to be adaptable to a number of areas of work, including to issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). The present LGBTIQ Anti-rumours Toolkit promotes prevention by addressing the causes of prejudice, misinformation, disinformation and hate speech, and encouraging critical thinking, dialogue and collaboration.
Each of its three sections contains a series of modular tools that can be used jointly or on their own, according to the local context and stakeholders’ readiness, both to strengthen existing work and to develop new actions and projects.
Grounded in a human rights-based approach, the toolkit supports efforts to create more inclusive environments where LGBTIQ people can participate and exercise their rights without discrimination.
The toolkit has been developed within the framework of the European Union/Council of Europe joint project “Combating Anti-LGBTIQ Violence and Hate Speech, and Strengthening Awareness and Fact-based Narratives about LGBTIQ People.”
