Plans underway to unite LGBTI families worldwide in biggest event yet
International Family Equality Day to be held 1 May.
The Network of European LGBTIQ Families Associations (NELFA) will hold the fifth International Family Equality Day (IFED) on 1 May.
The motto of this year’s IFED is Families Without Borders.
The aim is to raise awareness for LGBTI families, especially those traveling or moving to other countries where the legal status of their family might not be recognized.
LGBTI families often face the risk of death or humiliation just by entering other countries. NELFA and family organizations from around the world hope that IFED will send a message of unity to families of refugees and migrants who are either separated by borders or need to cross them.
‘Still today a legally recognized rainbow family will not necessarily be treated as such when crossing borders. A married Spanish couple with two children might become “two single mothers” with no legal ties between them when moving to Italy,’ President of NELFA, Maria von Känel says. ‘Parents who are not legally recognized may not get residence or work permits.’
‘We urge states worldwide to respect existing family laws and to protect all rainbow families,’ the Vice-President of NELFA, Luís Amorim, added.
Families from 32 countries and 67 cities across the globe joined IFED in 2015. This year they will be joined by Ecuador, Norway, Russia, South Africa and Sweden.
NELFA encourages the public to support the event on social media with the hash tag #IFED16.
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