Albanian Socialist Party Brings Forward the Issue of LGBT’s Right to Health

Albanian Socalist Party raised for the first time the issue of discrimination LGBT community faces in the field of health in the Parliamentary Commission for Social Issues and Health.

 

In yesterday’s hearing, Klodiana Spahiu, an MP from the Socialist Party distributed to the members of the Commission a report on the situation of LGBT community with a special focus on health. Spahiu also urged the Commission to invite representatives of LGBT organizations to share their concerns in the presence of MPs and the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner.

 

Prepared by Albanian LGBT organizations Aleance LGBT and Pro LGBT, the report points at “conversion therapies” with hormonal treatment, medical textbooks with discriminatory language towards LGBTs and transgender community’s limited access to health care.

 

Based on the last report of Transgender Europe, ILGA Europe and the Commissioner for Human Rights Discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in Europe, Albania is listed among the member states whose medical services make no provision for gender reassignment treatment, and where recovery of costs for such treatment is "highly problematic". It also states that Albania is one of the member states where it has failed to identify any legislation regulating legal gender recognition.