The commitment of the Government and the Ministry of Justice and Public Order to full respect for fundamental freedoms and the promotion of the rights of LGBTI+ people is reaffirmed by the Minister of Justice in a written statement on the occasion of today's International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
She notes that in modern societies there is no place for segregation based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
She also states that the protection and respect for human dignity and diversity are constituent elements of our democratic culture and we work every day to ensure this.
"But we do not stop at words. On the contrary, significant steps have been taken in this direction in recent years. The institutionalisation of civil partnerships and the criminalisation of homophobic and transphobic rhetoric, as well as the tightening of penalties for homophobically or transphobically motivated criminal acts, demonstrate our determination to strengthen equality and combat any form of violence or discrimination against the LGBTI+ community," he added.
In addition, it states that it has recently signed, on behalf of the Republic of Cyprus, a Memorandum of Cooperation with the United Kingdom for the protection and promotion of the rights of LGBTI+ people in the workplace, at bilateral and European level.
"In this context, we held on 12-13 May, for the first time in Cyprus, the IDAHOT+ Forum 2022, together with the UK Government and in cooperation with the Council of Europe, in which 250 people from European countries participated", he notes.
He also states that as a Government "we actively support and will continue to support the right of every individual to free expression, self-determination and equal treatment".
"This is why we have recently finalized and promoted as a Ministry the Bill for the Legal Recognition of Gender Identity, which is a long-standing demand of the LGBTI+ community," he concludes.
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