Policies and Demands

Learn about our policies and demands!

In this page you can find in short the official positions of Colour Youth on issues that affect the LGBTQ community. If you wish to see our policies and demands in more detail you can click the corresponding link at the end of the page!

Legal Gender Recognition
  • The ability for all persons to correct their stated gender, name and surname within any official document without medical, psychiatric or other conditions, as stipulated by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). We request the adoption of relevant legislation along the lines of the model enforced by the neighboring country Malta. (Voted 04.01.2015). We consider unacceptable and inhumane the prerequisite of sterilization, diagnosis of mental illness or divorce for authorization to change the aforementioned documents.
  • Legal gender recognition, that is available to all ages. The absolute ban on legal gender recognition for poeple below a certain age is not compatible with international best practices for children's rights. Legal gender revognition has to be available, without medical, psychiatric or other conditions to children and adolescent. This is supported by Amnesty International in a report published in 2014 titled "The state decides who I am – lack of recognition for transgender people".
  • Simplification of the process relating to the change of gender, name and surname of documents and the release of the courts from this process. We demand a distinct reduction of bureaucracy.
  • Establishment of a third option for gender to cover people who do not identify with one of the two dominant genders (man / woman). This option can be adopted for intersex people, until they reach a position where they can choose for themselves if they wish. This has been suggested via 2048/2015 Decision of the Council of Europe.
  • Gradual removal of gender markers from all legal and official papers of a person. When absolutely necessary (eg in medical records), sexual/biological characteristics should be noted.
  • The ability of parents omitting making reference of gender in civil status documents, until the individual can choose just the sex which is identifies with.
Marriage and parenthood
  • Recognition for all couples, regardless of the gender of partners, the right to civil marriage, with full rights (marriage benefits, allowances, parental leave, child custody, adoption rights, retirement, inheritance tax and other issues).
  • No negative distinction in matters relating to adoption, assisted reproduction and surrogacy matters on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity of the prospective adoptive parents, as recommended by UNICEF in its 9th position paper issued in November 2014. This is provided by Article 7 of the revised European Convention. We suggest that the ownership model be similar to the Dutch model.
  • Expansion of the civil partnership to include all persons in partnership, regardless of their number.
  • Facilitation of procedures and reduced bureaucracy of assisted reproduction, surrogacy, adoption and the ability to become foster parents.
LGBTQI+ Refugees
  • Expansion of the legislation on refugee status and those individuals that can benefit from the international protection so as to effectively assist LGBTQI+ people from countries where they are prosecuted for their sexual orientation or identity and gender expression or treated violently from institutions due to their aforementioned identity, in accordance to Principle 23 of the Principles of Yogyakarta, Guidelines on International Protection No. 9 of the United Nations, and 2004/83/EC of the European Parliament. These countries should not be regarded as "safe countries of origin".
  • The identification of sexual orientation and / or gender identity must be based on self-identification of asylum seekers and the identity provided before hand or the previous marital status should be disregarded in the country of origin.
  • LGBTQI+ asylum applicants should be allowed to be transported to a single room or another reception center if harassed or treated violently. Violators should be transported, alternatively, to another reception center. We demand the creation of an appropriate and effective complaints system to deal with harassment and violence against LGBTQI+ applicants in reception centers.
Domestic violence
  • Cooperation between public and private institutions and individuals so as to create halls of residence to support LGBTQI+ people in physical difficulty or who are victims of domestic violence.
  • Ratification of the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (also known as Istanbul Convention). It should be ratified in a single piece of legislation, as proposed by the convention.
  • Tackling domestic violence, particularly when it is directed against the child by the parents / guardians / family environment due to sexual orientation - identity and gender expression, in accordance with the International Convention for the UN on the Rights of the Child. As stated in Article 2 of the International Convention, "States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the present Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child's parents, legal guardians, or family members". We request an explicit reference to be made in relation to respect for sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
Education
  • Interventions by the Ministry of Education in order to combat homophobia and transphobia. To combat violence in schools, the “Observatory for the Prevention of School Violence and Bullying” was created, which has not paid any attention to violent incidents based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We demand, therefore, that special emphasis be given to LGBTQI+ matters by this organisation, in conjunction with the guidance of Colour Youth or other NGOs that work to defeat homophobia and transphobia.
  • That the Ministry of Education conducts research, as foreign ministries do, which will analyse homophobic and transphobic bullying, as well as their impact on students and teachers.
  • The introduction of a subject in schools focusing on sexual education, different sexualities and gender identities, using proper and impartial language, according to Article 11 of the European Social Charter. We propose that this subject is taught at secondary education level and that, regardless of their specialty, all teachers receive proper training. An example to follow would be the mandatory sexual education classes in the German education system.
  • The addition of a specific aim, entirely relevant to LGBTQI+ rights and LGBTQI+ people’s place in society, to the A.S.P.s of the following courses: Social and Political Education for the fifth and sixth grades, Modern Greek Literature for secondary schools, and Sociology for secondary schools. The contents of this aim should refer to sexual orientation and gender identity issues and should be specific, with maximum clarity.
  • The use of proper and impartial language and terminology in educational books, so that gender balance is maintained and that heteronormative, patriarchal, sexist, or cis-sexist stereotypes are not reproduced. At the same time, it might be necessary to review or withdraw, at all levels of education, the textbooks that reproduce outdated perceptions, stereotypes and prejudices.
  • The continuous training of teachers, with the assistance of institutions (NGOs and other stakeholders ) of the LGBTQI+ community, in sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Particular emphasis should be given to the training of secondary school teachers, specifically to literature teachers (PE02) who specialise in psychology and diversity. Secondary school teachers, particularly PE02s, form a complex relationship with their classes and students. It is a fact that they will be expected, in many cases, to play the role of a student’s consultant, rather than being just an 'expert' in a particular subject area. Each teacher should be properly trained to cope with such situations.
  • That the majors that include teaching courses in their curriculum also include courses that focus on sexual orientation and gender identity, so that future teachers and professors are adequately equipped with the necessary skills to combat homophobia and transphobia.
  • The improvement of the counselling role of the Counselling and Orientation Centres (KESYP) in social inclusion issues, and the provision for voluntary further education of interdisciplinary personnel about gender identity and sexual orientation, with an emphasis on diversity and social inclusion.
  • The inclusion of a specific mention of LGBTQI+ students in the General Part of the Cross Thematic Curriculum Framework for Compulsory Education (CTFFCE), Chapter Two, Part Three.
Health
  • That the state takes all necessary legal, administrative, or other measures to ensure that all people have access to health care, including services for sexual and reproductive health, without discrimination on sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • That the state creates targeted programmes for information on, education about and, in general, the prevention of LGBTQI health issues.
  • That the state takes all necessary legal, administrative, or other measures to ensure the elimination of the stigma and any discrimination because of known or assumed HIV infection or other infections that are observed more frequently in LGBTQI people, including the stigma and discrimination resulting from multiple identities and natures.
  • That the state abolishes the absolute and unequivocal ban of LGBTQI individuals from blood donation from the Blood Donation Regulation, and the deletion of the relevant reference from the blood donor profile card, so as to be compliant with the European Directives 2004/22/EC and 2002/98/EC that are recognised by Greece through FEK A 195/2005 (Presidential Decree 138/2005), but which were never implemented.
    1. Training of the blood donation personnel in obtaining the sexual behavior profile of a patient.
    2. Modification of the Blood Donor profile card for the facilitation of this process, with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • That the state organises programmes of training and awareness for health professionals concerning human rights and equality, especially regarding sexual orientation and gender identity, and on health issues that LGBTQI individuals face more often than do other social groups. Enactment of these programmes should occur during the higher, tertiary or continuing education of health professionals. The methods used in these programmes, the curricula and the related educational material should strengthen their understanding of and respect for patients, regardless of their sexual orientation and their gender identity, and they should provide knowledge and develop skills for the recognition and management of the health issues that LGBTQI+ face.
  • That the state creates, in cooperation with the independent NGOs that work on the matter, an database for hate crimes and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, including the incidents in the health sector. The reporting needs to be conducted in a scientific way, according to international standards, by specialised personnel in both the forensic and social parameters. The reporting needs to take place for every victim of violence. We demand the creation of a database that will allow their processing and make their statistics comparable; this is deemed necessary in order for crime to be supported by objective evidence.
  • The admission of trans individuals to a hospital room is done according to their self- proclaimed gender identity, regardless of whether the individuals have changed their legal documents.
  • Abolition of article 59 of N.4075/2012 and modification of article 20 paragraph 4 of N.3172/2003, so that the complete, smooth and effective access of asylum seekers to the health sector is ensured, in compliance with the country its international obligations, and with regard to human rights.
  • The immediate cessation of amputation and “normalisation” practices, such as genital surgical operations, and psychological or other treatments, including the killing of intersex babies, unless there are compelling reasons to do so.
  • That the consent of intersex individuals is necessary for every medical practice, especially for sterilisation procedures. We demand the creation of a control mechanism to ensure the implementation of this, similar to Malta’s legislation.
Gender Reassignment procedures
  • Financial coverage, public or private, for all procedures a person wishes to undertake, including phonetic classes, behavioural classes, hormonal therapy and surgical interventions, as well as supportive/counselling psychotherapy at no extra financial cost, as required by the European Court of Human Rights (van Kuck v. Germany - Application no. 35968/97 paragraphs 47, 73 and 82 and L. v. Lithuania - Application no. 27527/03 paragraphs 59 and 74). We also demand provisions for uninsured trans people, given the discrimination they face in the work environment.
  • The creation of a control mechanism for appeals to decisions by health professionals regarding the gender reassignment process.
  • Decrease in the mandatory psychotherapy time for the irreversible surgical operations so as to prevent power relations between the individual and the professional, as well as to ensure the actual procedure is more functional and beneficial to the individual.
  • That the mandatory psychotherapy before hormone therapy is abolished, as the effects of hormone therapy on the body are reversible for up to about six months, and that only the option of supportive psychotherapy is provided at the beginning of the therapy.
  • That the diagnosis via the diagnostic tools (ICD, DSM) is replaced by a simple assessment that will provide access to the services mentioned above, so that the stigma and the management of trans issues as pathological issues is reduced.
  • That the personnel responsible for all the above-mentioned procedures, as well as all psychiatrists/psychologists, are sufficiently aware and informed, so that they can act supportively by addressing trans individuals with respect, and when referring them to their specialist colleagues.
  • That a safe guide for people who wish to start a gender reassignment process that entails clinics and hospitals with specialists is created through the NHS.
Employment
  • Προσθήκη στις υπόλοιπες διακρίσεις που απαγορεύονται από τους νόμους 3304/2005 («Εφαρμογή της αρχής της ίσης μεταχείρισης ανεξαρτήτως φυλετικής ή εθνοτικής καταγωγής, θρησκευτικών ή άλλων πεποιθήσεων, αναπηρίας, ηλικίας ή γενετήσιου προσανατολισμού»), 3896/2010 (Εφαρμογή της αρχής των ίσων ευκαιριών και της ίσης μεταχείρισης ανδρών και γυναικών σε θέματα εργασίας και απασχόλησης) και 3769/2009 («Εφαρμογή της αρχής της ίσης μεταχείρισης ανδρών και γυναικών όσον αφορά την πρόσβαση σε αγαθά και υπηρεσίες και την παροχή αυτών») των διακρίσεων λόγω ταυτότητας φύλου στο χώρο της εργασίας και της παροχής υπηρεσιών, όπως άλλωστε επιτάσσει και η οδηγία 2006/54/EΚ του Ευρωκοινοβουλίου.
  • Τροποποίηση του νόμου 3896/2010 ώστε ο όρος “αλλαγή φύλου” που αναφέρεται στην παράγραφο 2 του άρθρου 3 με την φράση “επαναπροσδιορισμό φύλου”. Πρόκειται για κακή ενσωμάτωση, με λανθασμένο στην ελληνική γλώσσα όρο, της παραγράφου 3 του Προοιμίου της Οδηγίας 2006/54/ΕΚ του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου και του Συμβουλίου, της 5ης Ιουλίου 2006, η οποία μιλά για “επαναπροσδιορισμό φύλου” (gender reassignment), έννοια ευρύτερη αυτής που εισήγαγε ο Έλληνας νομοθέτης.
  • Τροποποίηση του όρου «γενετήσιος προσανατολισμός» σε «σεξουαλικό προσανατολισμό» στο νόμο 3304/2005 και όπου αλλού αναφέρεται. (εφόσον αναγράφετε ο όρος σεξουαλικός προσανατολισμός και εντός της Ευρωπαϊκής Οδηγίας την οποία υλοποίει ο εν λόγο νόμος).
  • Προτείνουμε τη σύσταση ειδικών προγραμμάτων επαγγελματικής κατάρτισης του ΟΑΕΔ τα οποία να απευθύνονται σε LGBTQI+ άτομα τα οποία λόγω αυτής της ιδιότητάς τους υφίστανται αποκλεισμούς από την εκπαίδευση ή και την εργασία.
  • Άρση των διακρίσεων στην εργασία λόγω ηλικίας και, συγκεκριμένα, εξίσωση του κατώτατου μισθού ανεξαρτήτως ηλικίας.
  • Επιμόρφωση του Σώματος Επιθεώρησης Εργασίας για τις διακρίσεις με βάση τον σεξουαλικό προσανατολισμό και την ταυτότητα/έκφραση φύλου σε συνεργασία με φορείς και την κοινωνία των πολιτών.
General Demands
  • Reviewal of the 2nd paragraph of Article 5 of the Constitution. Revision to include gender, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation discrimination.
  • Creation, in collaboration with independent NGOs working on the issue, of an observatory on hate crimes and discrimination based on sexual orientation and identity / gender expression, with scientifically correct statistical recording of incidents by qualified and trained personnel.
  • The equal access to public services of LGBTQI + people. No reduction of quality or denial of services to people with different sexual orientation and / or gender identity.

Our demands, more thoroughly!

Above, you saw a compact edition of our demands. If interested seeing them more thoroughly, you can choose the corresponding link below and read our full text and introductory thoughts per sector. * Our analytical demands will be available in english soon.

Our Policies

Appart from our demands, we are also trying to follow policies which will promote the creation of a safe space in our meetings in order even more people, from even more diverse backgrounds to join our group. * Our policies are currently not available in english.