The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) holds its annual high level Fundamental Rights Conference in Vilnius on 12-13 November. This year’s conference focuses on ‘Combating hate crime in the EU’ and is being hosted in cooperation with the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The EU’s largest LGBT hate crime and discrimination online survey ever conducted shows that many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people cannot be themselves in their daily lives. Many hide their identity and live in isolation or even fear. Others experience discrimination, and even violence, when being themselves.

A new report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) identifies the specific barriers and experiences of unequal treatment in accessing healthcare that people may face because of a combination of their traits (e.g. ethnic origin, gender, age and disability).

Hate crime is a daily reality throughout the European Union (EU), two new reports by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) confirm. Violence and offences motivated by racism, xenophobia, religious intolerance, or by a person’s disability, sexual orientation or gender identity are all examples of hate crime, which harm not only those targeted but also strike at the heart of EU commitments to democracy and the fundamental rights of equality and non-discrimination.