Out in the World: LGBTQ news from Europe and Asia
Romania In an interview on Nov. 23 with Europa FM, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, responding to a question regarding the recent European Court of Human Rights ruling that his nation was in violation of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights over the issue of same-sex marriages, said that it was his belief that his fellow citizens generally are not ready to uphold the rights of same-sex couples.
The ECHR ruled this past May Romania had failed to enforce the rights of same-sex couples by refusing to recognize their relationships, in a ruling which could eventually force policymakers to expand protections for the LGBTQ community, Reuters reported.
Ciolacu, who is the leader of the Social Democratic Party, told Europa FM that “… the Romanian society is not ready for a decision at the moment.
It is not one of my priorities and … I don’t think Romania is ready.” “I am not a closed-minded person, I … have friends in relationships with a man, I don’t have a problem with that, I am talking now from the point of view of a prime minister.” ACCEPT, the non-governmental organization in Romania that defends and promotes LGBTQ rights, disagreed with the prime minister’s assessment of the mood of the country regarding LGBTQ rights.
