Twenty-one LGBTI organizations and groups in Romania on Tuesday appealed to politicians running for the European Parliament elections to endorse a proposal that would guarantee them them more rights.
The signatories specifically ask them to agree to the proposal by ILGA-Europe which is Europe’s largest LGBTI federation and groups 700 associations from Europe and Central Asia.
The proposal is a pledge to support and promote the rights of LGBTI people in Romania, the European Union and the rest of the world.
“It is essential that the fundamental rights of every citizen are respected and protected,” in Europe, a continent that “aspires to unity and inclusion,”a statement said.
“The LGBTI community continues to face discrimination and inequalities, both socially and legislatively. The signing of this pledge by candidates for the European Parliament elections on June 9 would be an important step towards a fairer and more inclusive society.”
According to the Rainbow Map, which measures rights and discrimination, Romania ranks 26th out of 27 countries of the European Union in terms of respecting the life of LGBTI people.
Romania’s LGBTI “needs state protection, fairness and equal rights, among which we emphasize especially the right to have a legally recognized family,” ILGA-Europe said .” It is time for Romania to show that it supports diversity and is determined to fight discrimination of any kind.”
“Only through joint efforts can we build a society in which every individual, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, feels respected and protected.
The commitment asks the European Union to become a global leader in advancing LGBTI rights and for the future European Parliament to advocate for policies and laws that will provide explicit protection for LGBTI people; including rule of law, democracy and equality guarantees.
It also wants EU members that violate human rights to be held responsible, and to robustly defend LGBTI organizations across Europe, by accessing EU funding and advocating for the adoption of an EU strategy on LGBTI equality.
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Signatory organizations
- MozaiQ LGBT Association
- Identity.Education Association
- Rise OUT Association
- ACCEPT Association
- Association [H] Brasov
- Pride Association
- Egal.Oradea
- Ark Oradea Association
- Community initiative group LOUD Iasi
- Q Society Iasi
- Occasional Sports Club Association
- TransCore Association
- I Am Association! You?
- Positive Sense Association
- Equivox Association
- TransLights
- Queer Sisterhood Cluj – Hilltop ORG
- Inclusion for Real Association
- Association Romanian Anti-AIDS (ARAS)
- Checkpoint ARAS
- Art queer culture festival art200
Rights groups welcome EU plan to address LGBT discrimination in Europe
