Lausanne

Vue sur le Palais de Rumine et Cathédrale

Policy

To guide its strategy and objectives, the Municipality has made three policy commitments

  • The City is committed to ensuring that everyone can live and affirm their gender identity and expression as well as sexual orientation in complete freedom and safety;
  • The City is committed to providing inclusive and non-discriminatory services to LGBTIQ+ people in the community through the municipal administration;
  • The City is committed to an inclusive and non-discriminatory HR policy for LGBTIQ+ people.

The municipal strategy is thus articulated around concrete commitments in each area of action: safety in the public space, specific services provided by the City and HR policy. It also includes a general objective, which is eminently cross-cutting, of actively positioning the City in favor of openness to sexual diversity, gender diversity and sexual characteristics. This general objective of positive communication by the City on these issues constitutes a basis for supporting all thematic actions and positioning the City as a city open to diversity.

Goal

  • Raising the awareness of the municipal administration staff, in priority, those in contact with the public as well as the managers
  • Provision of inclusive administrative forms;
  • Use of inclusive communication, including visual communication
  • More broadly, the provision of services, but also of infrastructures, such as gender-neutral toilets or changing rooms
  • Recognition of LGBTIQ+ associations by the City and their need for support

For how long has there been a specific LGBT emancipation policy?

The municipal policy for the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ people has been developed in collaboration with associations, staff and other partners concerned since 2019, in response to the postulate of Mrs. Léonore Porchet and consorts “For Lausanne to join the Rainbow Cities Network” as well as to the postulate of Mrs. Géraldine Bouchez “A strong symbol to say NO to homophobia”.

A delegation from the City of Lausanne participated as an observer at the annual meeting of the RCN in Esch-sur-Alzette (2019).

December 2021, the Municipality’s response was approved by the Common Council and the person hired to carry out the City’s LGBTIQ+ public policy began to work on February 1, 2023.

Key focus areas (short term (1 Year) and long term (4 years))

1 Year

  • Joining the RCN
  • Establishing the policy of support (including financial support) for associations and other civil society actors in the field of LGBTI and queer visibility
  • Developing contacts with all institutional and civil society partners

4 Years

  • Monitoring heterocissexist discrimination and violence in the public space
  • Formation of the whole staff of the Municipality
  • Adaptation of the various services in an inclusive perspective

Municipal sectors/services involved

The aim is to develop collaboration with all entities of the administration.

Collaboration with advocacy / interest groups, NGO´s, healthcare

The will is to develop collaboration with civil society actors (in particular LGBTI and queer associations) as well as with the canton (in particular the Delegate for LGBTIQ issues).

Other collaboration partners

Collaboration is also in place with those responsible for LGBTIQ+ policy in other cities and cantons and some other (private) partners like those active in the nightlife sector.

Which administration section will implement the policy?

The implementation of the measures in the strategic plan was entrusted to the Observatory of the Security and Discriminations, which is attached to the Direction Security and Economy.