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GLOBAL
International News
by Andy Harley . UK Gay News
Anti-discrimination laws
essential for Serbian
democracy
BRUSSELS — Members of the European
Parliament made calls in early March for the
Serbian government to put back on its agen
da proposed anti-discrimination legislation
that would protect LGBT citizens. The draft
legislation is said to have been withdrawn
before the vote in the Serbian Parliament fol
lowing pressure from the Serbian Orthodox
Church.
“In a country which aims to be a member
of the European Union it is unacceptable to let
minorities suffer discrimination including the
discrimination based on sexual orientation,”
said Michael Cashman, president of the all
party intergroup on gay and lesbian rights.
“If the Serbian government is serious
about its EU membership aspirations, they
will put the law back for the vote in the
Parliament,” he said.
“This is also a question about the democ
racy and rule of law,” Cashman continued. “A
country can not be considered democratic if
the government does not follow the constitu
tion which clearly states the separation of
church and state.
“This Anti-discrimination law has been
drafted in an open and fair process where all
parties have been involved equally. To stop the
law because of the inconsequent last minute
intervention by the church is not democratic
in any way^ he concluded.
Also urging the Serbian Government to
reintroduce the anti-discrimination legislation
is the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan
Community Churches (UFMCC).
Preventing and sanctioning discrimination
is an obligation of any democratic European
state, the UFMCC said in a statement on
March 9.
“It is the top priority of the Serbian
Government to respect its international obli
gations, to show determination and a duty of
loyalty to all its citizens, not only to some of
them, and to resist the public pressure of the
Serbian Orthodox Church which is not serv
ing the national interest in this case,” the
UFMCC said.
“By delaying the adoption of the anti-dis
crimination provisions, non-profit organiza
tions dealing with minority rights, women’s
rights, HIV/AIDS and mental disability rights
are basically dismissed in their courageous
efforts to tackle discrimination,” the UFMCC
Bishop for Eastern Europe, Rev. Elder Diane
Fisher, said.
The UFMCC is calling on the Serbian
authorities to remain active in the creation
and building of a human rights culture in
which the anti-discrimination provisions are
an inseparable part.
“Intensifying the contacts between the
Serbian Government, the European Commission
and the European Parliamenfs intergroup on
gay and lesbian rights will create a new, collabo
rative strategy to %ht discrimination. The voice
of the Serbian civil society should be included
and taken seriously in this dialogue, and not
silenced,” the Bishop concluded.
Pols condemned for
anti-gay meeting
BRUSSELS — The attendance
of several Ugandan parliamentari
ans at an anti-gay conference in Kampala dur
ing the first weekend in March has been con
demned by the European Parliament’s all
party “intergroup” for gay and lesbian rights.
The conference featured keynote American
speakers Scott Lively, Don Schmlerer, Caleb
Lee Brundidge and Stephen Langa. Also
attending were Uganda-based groups working
to diminish human rights of gay and trans
gender men and women.
“It is very sad that representatives of
Ugandan parliament who should work for the
rights of every Ugandan citizen, gravely dis
credit themselves by meeting people who
work to spread hate and diminish rights of
other human beings,” said Michael Cashman,
president of the intergroup. “It would never be
acceptable for any member of the European
Parliament to meet, for example, representa
tives of Ku Klux Klan; thus I do not under
stand the rational of those Ugandan parlia
mentarians who agreed to the meeting with
anti-gay militants.”
Raul Romeva, vice president of the inter
group for the GREENS/EFA party added: “If
these Ugandan parliamentarians are serious
about respecting the constitution of their
country and in particular Chapter 4 on
Protection and promotion of fundamental
and other human rights and freedoms, they
should instead be working towards abolish
ing those discriminatory laws of Uganda
which still deny full human rights to gay and
lesbian citizens.”
Officials urge religious leaders
to ignore Pride events
RIGA, Latvia — Elected officials in Riga
have urged religious groups to ignore the gay
Pride march to take place in the capital city
in May.
Andris Grinbergs, the executive director of
Riga, told a meeting of a working group of the
assembly of Christian congregations in the
city not to focus attention on the event, adding
that with little attention organizers might not
be so interested in pursuing similar events in
the future.
But the president of Latvian Christian
Radio said that Christians should not be
silent.
“We must take a categorical stand
against such marches or other types of
activities,” he said, according to Latvian
news agency LETA.
This year’s event in Riga will be the first
Baltic Gay Pride — officMy Baltic Friendship
Days — which joins the LGBT communities
of the three Baltic countries, Estonia, Latvia
and Lithuania.
The Latvian LGBT advocacy group
Mozaika applied for the parade to the Riga
City Council last October. Two routes were
suggested, both starting and finishing at
Vermandarzs Park.
But an anti-gay Pride group, “Fund for the
Family,” has, in a counter move, applied for
permission to stage a Family Celebration
2009 in Vermandarzs Park on the same day
— May 16.
A final decision will be made by the
Commission on Meetings, Marches and
see next page >
8 MARCH 21 .2009 • Quotes