Equal opportunities is one of the key pillarsof the European Pillar of Social Rights. The European Commission, the Parliament and the Council, together with Member States, all share a responsibility to protect fundamental rights and ensure equal treatment and equality for all. In recent decades, legislative developments, case law and policy initiatives have improved many people’s lives and helped us building more equal and welcoming societies for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people.

In 2015, the Commission presented the “List of Actions to Advance LGBTI Equality”, the first policy framework specifically combatting discrimination against LGBTI people. At national level, 21 Member States have legally recognised same-gender couples, while four have introduced legal gender-recognition procedures without any medical requirements.

Recent research also shows that even when greater social acceptance and support for equalrights is present, it has not always translated into clear improvements in LGBTIQ people’s lives. The present study sheds light on all these issues.