Pro-Gay Pols Take Issue with Romanian PM
The Washington
Blade, June 8, 2001
World Briefs
By Will O’Bryan
ROMANIA — Eight members of the European Parliament
have sent a letter to Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase expressing
disappointment in the new governments proposal to maintain separate laws based
on sexual orientation. Nastase had pledged to abolish laws that discriminate
against gays.
"As you know, the European Union considers it unacceptable for
legislation to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation," the
parliamentarians wrote, in part, emphasizing Romanias bid to join the EU.
"We were therefore pleased to hear the express promises of the newly
elected Romanian administration regarding to resolve the issue completely and
correctly. Consequently, we now wish to convey to you our profound
disappointment on learning that the government has proposed new legal
provisions which maintain separate and therefore discriminatory stipulations
in the treatment of sexual minorities. The only legislation that is in
compliance with European standards is legislation that eliminates all
provisions that criminalize homosexual relations."
According to ACCEPT, a gay Romanian group, the letter was printed in most
major Romanian newspapers. In contemporary Europe, Romania is regarded as
having the worst record on equal rights for gays.
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