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Children’s rights matter at Eurochild Conference

Alice Blezard July 12, 2016

The Network of European LGBTIQ* Families Associations (NELFA) were represented at the Eurochild Conference 2016 by 16-year-old Darragh Tibbs, from Northern Ireland.

Darragh Tibbs
Darragh Tibbs

The theme of this years conference which took place in Brussels, from July 5-7 was Children’s Rights Matter.

NELFA representative, sixteen year old Darragh Tibbs made sure the voices of LGBTIQ*- parented children were heard at the event.

Maria von Känel
Maria von Känel

NELFA President Maria von Känel, said: “NELFA is very grateful to Darragh and his two mums for representing us at Eurochild 2016. This biannual conference brings together youth and children’s welfare authorities from all over Europe. Darragh proved to be a wonderful ambassador for rainbow families but in particular for all our children, bringing their voice into all the debates and workshops.”

Luís Amorim
Luís Amorim

Luís Amorim, Vice-President of NELFA, added: “When NELFA calls for equality for all rainbow families across Europe, it is to ensure that our children are given the full legal and social protection that they deserve. Darragh’s presence at Eurochild 2016 served to remind European authorities that their commitment should extend to all children, including those with LGBTIQ parents, because their rights matter.”

Darragh was active throughout the conference, bringing the voices of children raised by LGBTIQ* parents to the event.

He made an eloquent appeal to conference, saying: “Given that marriage affords the couple various benefits for starting and having a family, refusing it to my parents is breaching my rights as a child. The protections, responsibilities, rights, obligations and benefits that a straight couple get for their family can make a great difference to their lives; in Northern Ireland gay couples can’t have that in the same way. Say we accepted that the majority party in Northern Ireland, the DUP, will always have some indecipherable objection to gay people; it’s still not an excuse for refusing a child their rights. They have agreed to protect me and my brother and every other child in Northern Ireland in accordance with the 42 articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. If my family isn’t protected, then neither are my rights.”

NELFA is the European platform of LGBTIQ* families associations, bringing together LGBTI parents and parents-to-be from all over Europe and currently represents 27 organisations in 18 European countries and has more than 25 500 members. NELFA is a member of ILGA Europe and Transgender Europe.

For more information about NELFA, CLICK HERE:

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