Ana Cristina Santos, project TRACE’s Principal Investigador, was featured in a news article published by Agência Lusa and Observador highlighting the vulnerabilities faced by older LGBTQI+ people in Portugal.

Commenting on the 2025 ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map, Santos noted that Portugal has fallen from 5th to 11th place in the European ranking of LGBTQI+ rights. While still above the EU average, Santos stressed that this position remains insufficient, particularly regarding the rights and lived experiences of LGBTQI+ people aged over 60. According to the report, Portugal meets only four out of nine evaluated categories, revealing persistent structural gaps.

Speaking at the forum “Stopping Hate, Defending Rights, Respecting All People”, organised by the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG) and the Municipality of Matosinhos, Santos underlined that older LGBTQI+ people are among the most vulnerable groups. Many were born and lived much of their lives under criminalisation, survived the AIDS crisis, and now face renewed fears of discrimination, violence, and political backlash, despite having formal rights recognised in law.

The intervention also reflected on the broader political climate and the risk of regression in LGBTQI+ rights, reinforcing the need for continued engagement from academia, civil society, policymakers, and professionals across sectors.

Read the full article (in Portuguese):
Portugal deve melhorar direitos de LGBTQI+ mais velhos, defende investigadora — Observador, 20 May 2025.

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