For many years we have become accustomed to seeing the fight for the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex (LGBTI) people on the streets of our country, in actions of public claim. With advances and retreats, this long struggle was entering through the doors of the Assembly of the Republic and, step by step, achieving equality before the law.
Since 2015, we have been proud to participate in the process of eliminating major historical discrimination that was evident in Portuguese law until then, with the recognition of the right to self-determination of gender identity and protection of sexual characteristics, equal rights in access to adoption and civil sponsorship. by same-sex couples and also the possibility of access to Medically Assisted Procreation techniques by single women and women couples.
But if there is one thing that the crisis associated with COVID-19 has brought us, it has been to expand the weaknesses of some of the social responses. An example of this is the fragile contexts of many layers of the LGBTI population, which have not escaped the already precarious support and support networks, associated with the weak implementation of equality in social, educational and work contexts and the proliferation of extremist anti-LGBTI movements. The loss of job security and the obligation of confinement caused LGBTI people to return to unsafe contexts, reflected in a huge increase in requests for support from LGBTI Non-Governmental Organizations, which themselves lack human and material resources.
It was with our eyes turned to this reality, and after the appeal of several organizations for the defense and protection of LGBTI people, that we presented, in the context of discussion in the specialty of the State Budget for 2021, proposals specifically directed to LGBTI people and / or for the associations that represent them. Of these, we highlight the creation of a Network of Temporary Emergency Reception Centers specifically for LGBTI people. Currently, there are only two associative facilities financed by the State: Casa Arco-Íris, in Matosinhos – Emergency Shelter for LGBTI Persons Victims of Domestic Violence – and a CasaQui autonomy apartment for young people – Reajo, Autonomy Response for Young People LGBTI. A manifestly insufficient response. That is why many people are left behind, who at some point in their lives were left homeless or who had to flee contexts of domestic violence. People for whom there are very few adequate responses to the reality of gender-based violence in our country.
But it is also necessary to reinforce the funds and specific responses of the National Health Service for LGBTI people, namely trans people, in order to guarantee the implementation of a government health strategy, which, for now, remains in the drawer due to the weak allocation of funds and divestment by the Government.
And precisely because the social protection work of LGBTI people is not done without means, we have proposed a program to support and reinforce the funds allocated to LGBTI Non-Governmental Organizations, so that, while protecting their human resources, they can continue their work in a dignified manner and with the greatest possible stability, in a scenario of great crisis in which, once again, they will replace a responsibility that belongs to the State, so many times shoved in the “stay for the year” drawer. The right to equality cannot be a mere proclamation that we continue to invoke from time to time, recalling our Constitution or the International Conventions. Equality must be a right that takes effect on a daily basis and that is not left out of the State Budget.
In addition to the difficult times we are experiencing, we all have to wear a rainbow flag, something that continues today to be an act of courage, liberation or resilience. Despite the path already taken in terms of equality, while elected and elected, we also have the political and civic responsibility to raise that flag and have the courage to do everything to end discrimination against LGBTI people. Only then can we be on the right side of history.
- Member of the Portuguese PAN party
