The Federal Parliament has passed a resolution to improve historical understanding of the plight of LGBTQIA+ people during World War Two.
An independent investigation will be conducted by the Centre for War and Society in collaboration with the War Heritage Institute. Research will focus on LGBTQIA+ experiences during and after the War.
"The persecution suffered by LGBTQIA+ individuals during World War Two remains a poorly understood episode of our history," MP Christophe Lacroix (PS) stated. He emphasised the importance of addressing this subject as extremist, populist and homophobic and transphobic hatred is on the rise globally, in Europe and in Belgium.
Despite increased legislation to protect the LGBTQIA+ rights, the community continues to face discrimination in Belgium. In 2022, centre for equality Unia registered 137 cases of discrimination linked to sexual orientation, including 57 incidents of hate speech and 54 incidents of hate crime, almost half of which involved physical violence.
