1. Introduction
Christian Council International (CCI), together with the undersigned organizations, acknowledges efforts by the European Union to uphold the dignity of all people and to combat violence and unjust discrimination. We affirm that every person possesses inherent worth and should be treated with compassion and respect.
We acknowledge the intention of the renewed LGBTIQ Equality Strategy to address hate-motivated harassment and ensure fundamental rights for all. However, we express grave concern regarding provisions and ideological assumptions that risk undermining the role of the natural family, freedom of religion and conscience, parental rights, and the biological and moral foundations of human identity.
As organizations representing families, educators, and faith communities, we believe that true equality must be grounded in truth, freedom, and respect for natural law. The Strategy must not become a vehicle for promoting a singular worldview that delegitimizes or criminalizes dissenting convictions.
2. Affirming Human Dignity and Biological Truth
We affirm the dignity of every human being, as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This dignity, however, does not require the redefinition of foundational human realities such as the nature of male and female, the complementarity of the sexes, or the structure of the natural family.
The increasing normalization of gender ideology, including self-identification, fluidity, and non-binary constructs as a universal truth to be taught and enforced across public institutions is incompatible with its scientific implications,[1] cultural and religious diversity within the EU.
The EU must guard against ideological absolutism under the guise of inclusion. Respecting the dignity of LGBTIQ individuals must not result in denying the rights of others to believe, teach, or live according to the truth about the human person as created male and female.
3. Upholding the Natural Family
The family, founded on the union of one man and one woman, is the natural and fundamental group unit of society, as recognized in international law.[2] It is within this secure and biologically rooted environment that children best flourish and where moral, social and cultural values are most effectively transmitted across generations.
The LGBTIQ Equality Strategy must not weaken the role of the natural family by promoting alternative models as equally foundational. While all individuals must be treated with dignity, the EU must ensure that its policies do not relativize or undermine the institution of marriage and family as rooted in biological complementarity and generative potential.
We recommend the Commission:
- Acknowledge the unique role of the natural family in social cohesion, demographic sustainability, and the upbringing of children.
- Avoid using the Equality Strategy to pressure Member States into redefining marriage or family in ways that contradict constitutional or cultural frameworks.
- Support policies that strengthen rather than displace the foundational role of mothers, fathers, and the marital bond in children’s development and long-term well-being.
4. The Rights of Children and the Role of Parents
We express particular concern over policies that encourage or mandate the affirmation of a child’s perceived gender identity without parental involvement or consent. Such measures violate both the rights and responsibilities of parents under international human rights law, namely, Article 14(3) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU [3]and Article 5 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Encouraging minors to pursue social or medical transition, including the use of puberty blockers or hormone therapy without full psychological assessment, acknowledging their long-term implications [4]or parental guidance, constitutes an ethical and medical breach.
We urge the Commission to:
- Uphold the primacy of parents in the education and care of their children, including in matters of identity and development.
- Promote age-appropriate, evidence-based care for gender-confused children that does not default to irreversible medicalization.
- Avoid embedding controversial identity ideologies in educational systems without the option for parental withdrawal or objection.
5. Freedom of Religion, Conscience, and Expression
We are alarmed by proposals to ban “conversion practices,” particularly where these bans are defined so broadly as to criminalize voluntary, non-coercive spiritual or therapeutic conversations, including prayer, pastoral support, or professional counseling freely sought by individuals.
Efforts to ban Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) infringe upon individual autonomy and personal freedom.[5] True human rights respect the freedom to pursue support in accordance with one’s conscience.
We urge the Commission to:
- Differentiate clearly between coercive practices and voluntary therapeutic or religious support.
- Explicitly protect religious freedom and conscience rights, especially where they intersect with sexual ethics and family values.
6. Preserving Societal Cohesion and Civil Dialogue
Unity cannot be imposed through ideological conformity. Labelling traditional moral or religious views as “hate speech” simply because they challenge prevailing LGBTIQ narratives is unjust and undermines the democratic principle of open debate.
True societal cohesion emerges from a climate of freedom, where disagreement is allowed and respected.
We recommend the Commission:
- Ensure that all civil society actors, including faith-based and pro-family organizations, are included in consultation processes without bias.
- Avoid language in the Strategy that pathologizes disagreement or silences deeply held ethical convictions on marriage, gender, or human identity.
- Establish mechanisms to protect freedom of speech while addressing legitimate cases of harassment or violence without conflating disagreement with hate.
7. Recommendations for the Renewed Strategy
We respectfully call upon the Commission to ensure that the 2026–2030 LGBTIQ Equality Strategy:
- Protects the rights of parents to raise and guide their children, including on matters of sexuality and identity.
- Distinguishes between coercive “conversion practices” and voluntary support, ensuring freedom of choice and conscience.
- Safeguards pluralism by refraining from mandating controversial ideological content across EU institutions and Member States.
- Upholds freedom of religion and belief, ensuring that individuals and communities may live out their convictions without fear of criminalization.
- Promotes respectful dialogue that allows disagreement and protects lawful expression, especially in the fields of education, healthcare, and civil society engagement.
Signed:
- Christian Council International
- European Alliance for Christian Education
- Bijbels Beraad M/V
- One of Us Nederland
[1] Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine. (n.d.). Summary of key recommendations from the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen/NBHW). Retrieved from https://segm.org/segm-summary-sweden-prioritizes-therapy-curbs-hormones-for-gender-dysphoric-youth
[2] Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 16(3): “The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.”
[3] Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Article 14(3); UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 5.
[4] Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine. (n.d.). Summary of key recommendations from the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen/NBHW). Retrieved from https://segm.org/segm-summary-sweden-prioritizes-therapy-curbs-hormones-for-gender-dysphoric-youth
[5] Family Watch International. (n.d.). Family Watch endorses international declaration opposing bans on so-called “conversion therapy”. Retrieved from https://familywatch.org/20098-2/?highlight=conversion%20therapyfamilywatch.org+1Southern Poverty Law Center+1
Feedback to the European Commission on the Proposed LGBTIQ Equality Strategy Renewal (2026–2030)
