On 31 March and 1 April, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights (LBI-GMR) organised a Regional Consultation Workshop in Vienna within the framework oft he project „LGBTIQ Detainees: Strengthening the rights of LGBTIQ detainees in the EU“. The workshop coincided with the International Transgender Day of Visibility on 31 March 2025.

The participants came from 14 different countries and included representatives of NGOs and civil society organisations (CSOs) focusing on LGBTIQ rights, lawyers who have experience working with LGBTIQ detainees, represenatives of national preventive mechanisms (NPMs), representatives of prison adminstrations and practitioners working in prisons, academics, as well as representatives of regional and international organisations.

During the workshop, the project team presented preliminary findings of the research and an overview of international standards and recent developments. Additionally, the workshop provided an opportunity for participants to exchange, share experiences and discuss different views. In various working group sessions, the participants engaged in fruitful dicussions on challenges regarding the situation of LGBTIQ detainees in their countries as well as proposed recommendations for strengthening their rights. Thematic areas included:

• allocation and placement
• access to health care
• access to purposeful activities and meaningful contact
• access to the outside world and support
• violence and harassment
• access to justice and complaint mechanisms
• general sensitisation and training regarding sexual orientation, gender identity and expression

The project aims to raise awareness of the rights of LGBTIQ detainees, to stimulate exchange and ultimately to provide impetus for improvements. The project findings and recommendations will be presented in a final project report which will be launched in autumn of 2025.