Minister Backes Emphasises ‘LGBTIQ+ Rights Are Human Rights’ at Launch of New Action Plan

On Monday 21 July 2025, Luxembourg’s Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Yuriko Backes, unveiled the revised national LGBTIQ+ Action Plan at a press conference held at the Ministry for Gender Equality and Diversity’s (MEGA) offices in Luxembourg-Kirchberg.

The Government Council (Cabinet) officially adopted the new plan on Friday 11 July 2025, the day before Luxembourg’s Pride festival in Esch-sur-Alzette and on the morning of Monday 21 July, members of the Chamber of Deputies’ Committee on Family Affairs, Solidarity, Social Cohesion, Reception, Gender Equality and Diversity held a discussion on the plan.

At the press conference, Minister Backes noted the progress made by subsequent Luxembourg governments in developing and improving the Action Plan and highlighted the involvement of the University of Luxembourg and the European Union (EU) Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in undertaking studies and providing a series of recommendations.

As part of its evaluation, the University of Luxembourg consulted various civil society organisations, who shared the following key recommendations for updating the plan:

⁃ pay particular attention to legislative measures;

⁃ give greater consideration to vulnerable populations;

⁃ adopt an intersectional approach;

⁃ expand research on LGBTIQ+ discrimination;

⁃ take strong action against hate speech;

⁃ strengthen collaboration and communication around the Action Plan

Minister Backes said: “It is important to set a clear goal for the future of LGBTIQ+ communities in this country.” She added: “This is about all people having the right to respect, all people having the right of freedom of expression, to have the right to live in a free society, without discrimination […] LGBTIQ+ rights are human rights.”

The updated Action Plan contains 81 measures and 147 actions, which are organised across fifteen thematic chapters:

⁃ Chapter 1: Education

⁃ Chapter 2: Employment, Work and Entrepreneurship

⁃ Chapter 3: Health

⁃ Chapter 4: Rainbow Families

⁃ Chapter 5: Reception and Integration

⁃ Chapter 6: Combating Discrimination, Hate Crimes and Hate Speech

⁃ Chapter 7: Trans and Non-Binary People

⁃ Chapter 8: Intersex People

⁃ Chapter 9: Local Level Action

⁃ Chapter 10: Culture

⁃ Chapter 11: Sport

⁃ Chapter 12: Civic Engagement

⁃ Chapter 13: Research

⁃ Chapter 14: Foreign and European Policy

⁃ Chapter 15: Communication

Each chapter contains a number of measures and actions, defines its stakeholders and the target dates for implementing each measure.

Luxembourg published its first National Action Plan to promote the rights of LGBTI people in 2018, which included 36 objectives and 93 concrete actions, structured around eight thematic chapters. 

Minister Backes emphasised the importance of areas such as health, education, immigration and access to services and information and said that everyone involved has to “play a role here.”  She stated: “We have to work together.”

In its press release, MEGA added: “Through this new national action plan, the government reaffirms its commitment to respect and non-discrimination for LGBTIQ+ people. This commitment is not only reflected in the number of actions to be implemented by the fifteen contributing ministries, but also in the determination to take a cross-cutting approach in every area of life, such as education, employment, healthcare, leisure and family policy. Implementing the plan is a shared responsibility across the entire government.”

MEGA is in charge of coordinating the monitoring and implementation of the Action Plan and works with the inter-ministerial LGBTIQ+ committee, advisory bodies on human rights and LGBTIQ+ organisations. MEGA currently coordinates three national action plans: the National Action Plan for Gender Equality (presented on 31 March 2025); the National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence (presented on 30 June 2025); and the National Action Plan to Promote the Rights of LGBTIQ+ People (presented on 21 July 2025).