The actions of the European Union to protect the rights of LGBTIQ+ people

the case of Hungary and Poland

Abstract

Given the spread of anti-LGBT speech and the rise of far-right parties in the European Union (EU), this article explores the actions of the institutions of the European integration process to protect the LGBTIQ+ community against the actions of the governments of Hungary and Poland. Firstly, both the disparities in the recognition of rights of sexual diversities in the States and the acceptance in European society are analyzed. Then, the legal instruments with which the EU can defend diverse sexual identities are presented. Finally, the actions carried out by three of the EU institutions are analyzed, namely the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Court of Justice of the European Union. This will allow to reach the conclusion that the UE has become a counterweight that deters the anti-LGBT actions of some far-right governments.