In an inclusive Brussels (LGBTQIA+-seniors)

In an inclusive Brussels, everyone can get ahead 

Everyone has the right to be who they are. It is not up to others to define your identity or tell you how you may behave. Who you are is up to you. Vooruit.brussels is on the barricades for that right. Unfortunately, LGBTQIA+ persons are still confronted with discrimination, violence, and lack of recognition of their rights. For example, too many Brussels residents still face police brutality and a lack of adequate victim support. A forgotten group are LGBTQIA+ seniors who, for example, face difficulties in finding inclusive care. 

Vooruit.brussels aims to address these problems in concrete terms:  

  • Inclusiveness in the care sector 
    • Stigma, discrimination, and lack of understanding must disappear from our healthcare landscape. 
    • We strive for inclusive care with respectful and empathetic approach by healthcare providers, including training to understand specific needs of different groups, including LGBTQIA+ persons. 
  • Inclusive approach for LGBTQIA+ seniors 
    • We are striving for inclusive elderly care where LGBTQIA+ seniors feel at home. 
    • Staff trained and made aware to understand and address specific situations and needs of LGBTQIA+ seniors. 
  • Importance of professional and quality police victim support recognised 
    • Specific instruction for police service, including better training and warm set-up of police commissariats. 
    • Focus on various target groups, including LGBTQIA+ persons experiencing aggression, to make victims feel comfortable and heard. 
  • Collect reliable quantitative data on violence against LGBTQIA+ persons 
    • Improve the collection process and continue funding pilot projects through various channels, including LGBTQIA+ associations, EFAs and LISAs. 
  • Investigation of obstacles to filing complaints and evaluation of authorities' response 
    • Cooperation with various organisations and agencies at regional level, under the coordination of safe.brussels. 

Over the last decade, Vooruit.brussels made sure gender disappeared from Mobib cards and, through its minister, supported various LGBTQIA+ initiatives and organisations. For instance, we were instrumental in the creation of Rainbow city, the initiative in which several exemplary buildings in Brussels were draped in rainbow colours on IDAHOT. At the federal level, we continue to ensure that everyone can move forward.