From 18 to 20 June, Kees Goedegebuur and Clémence Sauty represented the European Forum of LGBTI+ Christian Groups at the Council of Europe’s No Hate Speech Week in Strasbourg. The event brought together civil society stakeholders and Council of Europe representatives committed to upholding human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

We participated in a number of insightful and practical workshops, with a special focus on developing counter-narratives—and, even more importantly, alternative narratives—to effectively address hate speech.

We took part in all sessions organised by the Council of Europe’s SOGIESC Unit, which offered excellent opportunities to connect with potential allies and explore innovative approaches. Highlights included a workshop on training police forces to better protect LGBTI+ communities and another on ethical media reporting on LGBTI+ topics. The conference was highly interactive, creating space for us to both share our perspectives and learn from others. As often, the existence of LGBTI Christians was an eye opener for many participants.

This participation builds on the European Forum’s ongoing collaboration with the SOGIESC Unit. Earlier this year, our Political Advocacy Working Group—together with GIN-SSOGIE and ENORB, and at the invitation of the SOGIESC Unit—contributed to a proposed framework for combatting anti-LGBTIQ violence and hate speech, and for strengthening awareness-raising and fact-based narratives about LGBTIQ people.