CHISINAU PRIDE

Moldovan  Authorities Ban Gay Rally Outside Parliament

CHISINAU, May 18  –  Just days before the fourth Pride event to be staged in the Moldova capital, organizers received a set-back when they were refused permission to hold a rally outside Parliament.

Municipal authorities of Chisinau have refused to allow the rally in support of anti-discrimination legislation for sexual minorities.  The rally, organized by LGBT group Information Centre GenderDoc-M, was planned for Friday as part of the city’s Pride activities.

In his rejection letter, the interim city mayor Mr. Vasile Ursu said that Moldova “has already a law on national minorities” and there is no point in a rally.  During the discussion by the municipal committee of the declaration to hold a rally, such reasons as church opinion and the fact that “in Moldova minorities are more protected than the healthy and native population” were mentioned.

GenderDoc-M said in a statement that the position of the authorities was “irrelevant (and), used with the only purpose to refuse its authorization”.

The refusal, the group says, violates basic human rights such as the freedom of expression and freedom of assembly guaranteed by the European Convention for Human Rights.

“The decision of the municipal authorities undermines the Moldovan authorities’ commitments under the EU-Moldova Action Plan, which include the adoption of anti-discrimination legislation in-line with the European standards,” said Maxim Anmeghichean, executive director of GenderDoc-M

“We are taking the case before the Court of Appeal where we hope to find a rational judgment.

“We also call upon representatives of the European institutions and the EU Member States to touch upon the subject of LGBT rights with the Moldovan authorities, and in particular of this incident,” he added.

Despite the setback, the Fourth Moldovan Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride “Rainbow over the Nistru – 2005” will take place as planned between Friday May 20 and Sunday.

The program includes the movie week, transgender discussion club, international conference on LGBT advocacy, football match between straight men and lesbian women, concerts and other events

Pride guests of honor will be Mr. Gustav Fridolin, member of the Swedish Parliament, Mr. Hans Ytterberg, Ombudsman for Sexual Minorities Rights (Sweden), and Mrs. Deborah Lambilotte, intersexual gender activist (Belgium).  Other guests include LGBT activists from Great Britain, Austria, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, the Netherlands and other countries.

For more information please contact Maxim Anmeghichean, GenderDoc-M Executive Director at director@gay.md or by phone: /37322/ 544420, 544054. More information about the pride is available at www.gay.md

LINKS

Gay Moldova website (in English)

18 May  2005