The Council Library is marking the 2019 International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

• Reading list - LGBTI Children: the Parents' perspective

The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB) was established in 2004 to draw the attention of policy makers, opinion leaders, social movements, the public and the media to the violence and discrimination experienced by LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex) people internationally. The date of 17 May was chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.

For some years now, the EU institutions have hosted IDAHOTB events. The General Secretariat of the Council of the EU has organised lunchtime events to mark IDAHOTB since 2015. The title of this year’s conference is ‘LGBTI children: the parents’ perspective’.

Sexual orientation is not something you choose. Nor is feeling you don’t match the gender you were assigned at birth, or that you don’t fit into either of the binary sex categories, male or female. What you can choose, however, is the way in which you as parents talk about the issues with your children.

Many of us don’t know yet whether one of our children might one day turn out to be LGBTI. That’s why it’s important to communicate sensibly about this issue from the outset. If parents make derogatory comments about lesbians, mock gays, or trash transgender people, how are their children supposed to feel if they realise they are part of that community?

For some parents, learning their child is LGBTI may come as a complete surprise. They are left with little or no time to reassess their own assumptions and expectations, or to reflect on how best to react and support their child. For others, it might be easy to accept that the neighbours’ boy is gay, but they had other plans for their own child.

The Council Library has compiled a reading list including books and research articles on this complex subject.

• The Council library is located in the Justus Lipsius building, at JL 02 GH, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175, 1048 Brussels (Froissart entrance) – opening hours Monday to Friday 10.00 – 16.00.
• It is open to all staff of the Council of the European Union and the European Council, trainees, permanent representations of member states, staff of other EU institutions and bodies, and researchers and students upon request. Access to some library holdings may be restricted to on-site consultation.