Eastern European Coalition for LGBT+ Equality

Eastern European Coalition for LGBT+ Equality 🌈 Elevating and supporting LGBT+ organisations in Eastern Europe

As IDAHOBIT week comes to a close, we are sharing a brief summary of our report on the situation for LGBT+ people across...
24/05/2026

As IDAHOBIT week comes to a close, we are sharing a brief summary of our report on the situation for LGBT+ people across the Eastern Europe region.

This year, on IDAHOBIT Day, we are fighting for the justice of 🏳️‍🌈LGBT+ people. Across the region, we are seeing severe...
17/05/2026

This year, on IDAHOBIT Day, we are fighting for the justice of 🏳️‍🌈LGBT+ people. Across the region, we are seeing severe backlash and persecution: legislative restrictions in 🇬🇪Georgia, attacks on LGBT+ activists in 🇺🇦Ukraine who stand against restrictive amendments, and the use of hatred and anti-LGBT narratives to influence elections in 🇦🇲Armenia. At the same time, some countries have made some progress, despite the challenges. In 🇲🇩Moldova, fear and division have not outweighed democracy, and recent legal wins show that change remains possible.

What happens in one country can quickly shape the wider region, including the direction of 🇪🇺European institutions. 🇭🇺Hungary is a clear example of how democratic backsliding in one place can influence equality far beyond its borders.

Together, we keep the LGBT+ movement alive in the region. We stay visible, united, and committed to freedom, justice, and democracy.

The Rainbow Map 2026 shows major differences across Europe, with Spain taking first place for the first time, followed b...
12/05/2026

The Rainbow Map 2026 shows major differences across Europe, with Spain taking first place for the first time, followed by Malta and Iceland.

Progress at the top contrasts with continued stagnation or backsliding in other countries.
In Eastern Europe, the picture remains much weaker. Romania is the lowest-ranked EU member state at 42nd, with 19%, followed by Bulgaria at 20% and Poland at 22%.

Outside the EU, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey are at the very bottom of the ranking, reflecting persistent gaps in protection and equality for LGBT+ people.

21/04/2026

In 🇲🇩Moldova, and later in 🇦🇲Armenia, propaganda used LGBT+ rights for disinformation.
It started with a fake website, lgbtmoldova.support, presented as an official support initiative. Telegram channels then amplified the story with posts aimed at stirring public anger. At the same time, LGBT+ activists received direct messages inviting them to travel to Yerevan and record content for a political message.

Pink Armenia
Centrul GDM

At the end of March and the beginning of April, members of the Coalition gathered in Dilijan for several days of strateg...
16/04/2026

At the end of March and the beginning of April, members of the Coalition gathered in Dilijan for several days of strategy, reflection, and team connection.

We discussed the 2026 work plan, the role of the advisory groups, current challenges, and the Coalition’s advocacy priorities and key messages. We also explored important directions for the future, identifying current research gaps and information needs, strengthening community development efforts, shaping the future of the Coalition’s communications, and countering anti-LGBT narratives more effectively.

The last two days were dedicated to a burnout prevention workshop, along with team-building time spent in the beautiful landscapes and historical places of Dilijan.

***

The project “Building Resilience of the Eastern European LGBT+ Movement” is financially supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Moldova.
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Moldova

Centrul GDM
Pink Armenia
Insight LGBTQ NGO
Гей-альянс Україна/Gay Alliance Ukraine

14/04/2026

The European Court of Human Rights has found that Ukraine failed to effectively investigate a hate-motivated attack in Kyiv.

Members of the Coalition and our partners recently visited the Netherlands and Belgium to discuss key human rights chall...
02/04/2026

Members of the Coalition and our partners recently visited the Netherlands and Belgium to discuss key human rights challenges in the region and to strengthen cooperation with European counterparts.

In the Netherlands, we met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with civil society organizations working on human rights and gender equality. In Brussels, we discussed the shrinking space for civil society and the risks faced by
LGBT+ people and human rights defenders across Eastern Europe.

The discussions focused on urgent developments where European institutions can still make a difference. In Georgia, the ruling party has further restricted civic space through legal and administrative pressure, prompting some LGBT+ organizations to suspend activities while civil society faces growing risks, possible inspections, and uncertainty over future operations. In Armenia, implementation gaps remain wide despite international commitments. In Moldova, systemic shortcomings in the protection of LGBT+ people still persist. In Ukraine, ongoing violence, slow progress on hate-crime
protections, and persistent barriers to equality remain serious concerns.

The trip underlined a simple reality: regional challenges are growing, and they need a stronger European response.

***

The project “Building Resilience of the Eastern European LGBT+ Movement” is financially supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Moldova.
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Moldova

Mamikon Hovsepyan
Leo Zbancă

On Transgender Visibility Day, we honor trans people and the long struggle behind being seen.For many in Eastern Europe,...
31/03/2026

On Transgender Visibility Day, we honor trans people and the long struggle behind being seen.
For many in Eastern Europe, visibility still means risk. Trans lives remain vulnerable to violence, discrimination, and exclusion. Too often, survival comes before celebration, and migration becomes the only way to seek safety.

The Eastern European Coalition for LGBT+ Equality stands with trans people across the region. Visibility must mean dignity, protection, and the full freedom to choose where you want to build your life.

Pride in Ukraine has always been more than a march. From the early street actions of the 2000s to today’s Equality March...
26/03/2026

Pride in Ukraine has always been more than a march. From the early street actions of the 2000s to today’s Equality Marches, it has developed as a public demonstration for visibility, safety, and equal rights. In Ukraine, it was never really a celebration in the Western sense, but a contested form of protest shaped by risk, resistance, and war.

We continue our series: Country in Focus, where we spotlight the state of LGBT+ rights, activism, and community resilience across Eastern Europe.
From February till April, our spotlight is on 🇺🇦Ukraine.

Insight LGBTQ NGO
Гей-альянс Україна/Gay Alliance Ukraine

We continue our series: Country in Focus, where we spotlight the state of LGBT+ rights, activism, and community resilien...
10/03/2026

We continue our series: Country in Focus, where we spotlight the state of LGBT+ rights, activism, and community resilience across Eastern Europe.
For February and March, our spotlight is on 🇺🇦Ukraine.

Insight LGBTQ NGO
Гей-альянс Україна/Gay Alliance Ukraine

On March 8, despite global uncertainty, sleepless nights following the headlines, and heavy mornings, we still find the ...
08/03/2026

On March 8, despite global uncertainty, sleepless nights following the headlines, and heavy mornings, we still find the strength and courage to stand for our rights, for ourselves and for those who do not yet have them, while recognizing the progress that has been made.

Today we are grateful that in most countries of the region we can march freely for our rights. We are especially encouraged that women in Ukraine took to the streets again, despite the ongoing war, for the first time in four years.

There is still much to fight for and to demand. Yet developments such as the recognition of femicide in criminal law, or the European Commission’s support for access to safe abortion through existing funds, remind us that change is possible.

These are small but meaningful victories. They give us the strength to continue a struggle that has lasted for centuries, and that should finally become part of history.

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