ENTER · Diffusion of laws addressing anti-LGBT violence to South-East European countries
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-09-01 → 2023-08-31
- EU contribution
- €166,320
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Diffusion of laws addressing anti-LGBT violence to South-East European countries
In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in states adopting stricter penalties for anti-LGBTI hate crimes. This trend is evident in East and South-East European countries, several of which have historically had patchy records on LGBTI equality. While many of these states have introduced hate crime laws, there's little proof of their consistent enforcement. This disparity has prompted questions about the genuine commitment of these countries and initiated an exploration into their legislative motivations. The ascent of anti-LGBTI hate crime laws in East and South-East Europe matches a growing global awareness of this issue. Notably, this legislative shift aligns with the EU integration ambitions of these nations. However, the exact influence of the EU and other international entities in enhancing national hate crime measures is not yet fully understood. The ENTER project, conducted at the Université Libre de Bruxelles by Dr Piotr Godzisz and supervised by Dr David Paternotte, adopted an innovative research approach. This approach delved deep into state responses to hate crimes, moving beyond just legislative changes to address practical implementation challenges. The research explored national strategies, spotlighting non-Western and non-anglophone countries, to gauge their reactions to these severe offences. Data were collated through expert and elite interviews, further enriched by graphic elicitation techniques. The objective was to design a model that clarified the motivations and methods of South-East and East European countries in tackling anti-LGBTI hate crimes. Particular attention was given to Georgia and North Macedonia, both of which have recently embraced such legislation but differ in its enforcement. By combining Europeanisation with criminalisation concepts, the research not only tackled a global policy concern but also bridged academic gaps. Importance for Society: Hate crimes erode societal cohesion and can lead to extended cycles of violence and discrimination. Addressing these acts is crucial to uphold justice and foster a unified, inclusive society. By enhancing understanding of the motivations and external factors that drive policy responses to hate crimes across various nations, the project has the potential to influence and refine policymaking at both national and regional levels.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Countering violence targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people is a priority for the European Commission, which recognises hate crimes as human rights violations. Increasing numbers of states are responding to this problem by imposing harsher penalties for anti-LGBT hate crimes. In Europe, such laws are being introduced in some South and East European (SEE) coun-tries with poor records in respect to LGBT equality. Most of them cannot, however, evidence that they actively use the new laws to prosecute hate crimes, which raises questions about their com-mitment and the factors behind the adoption of these laws. The introduction of anti-LGBT hate crime laws in some SEE countries follows the increasing attention paid to the issue at international level and coincides with the process of EU integration. It is unclear, however, what role, if any, bodies such as the European Union or the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe play in strengthening national responses to hate crime. Using an innovative methodology, which combines interviews enhanced by diagrams as stimuli, analysis of policy documents and doctrinal analysis, this socio-legal research project will develop a theoretically transferable model explaining how, when and why SEE states address anti-LGBT hate crime. Specifically, the research will illuminate how various actors, including non-governmental organisations, civil servants, scholars and international bodies, contribute to the introduction and enforcement of anti-LGBT hate crime laws. The project will focus on the case studies of Georgia and North Macedonia, two SEE countries which share the re-cent introduction of anti-LGBT hate crime laws but differ in the degree of enforcement. By borrowing from social movement theories and theories of Europeanisation, the research will address a global policy problem, as well as gaps in scholarship, by deepening our understanding of how, when and why states address anti-LGBT violence.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
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Data: CORDIS, © European Union