ILGA-Europe welcomes the abolition on ‘homosexual propaganda’ law in Moldova

This law was adopted on 23 May 2013 and was almost identical to the Russian law banning the dissemination of information on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) issues.

ILGA-Europe criticised Moldova for the adoption on such discriminatory law and is pleased it has been abolished.

Evelyne Paradis, Executive Director of ILGA-Europe, said:

“This is a very important and significant development. Moldovan parliamentarians made a right decision to abolish a law which is discriminatory and contradicts their country’s international human rights commitments and aspirations for European integration.

We sincerely hope that the Moldovan development will become an example to a number of other European countries like Russia, Ukraine, Latvia and Lithuania where similar laws have been already adopted, proposed or being discussed.”

Laws banning ‘homosexual propaganda’ and limiting freedom of expression of LGBTI people were declared incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights by the ‘Venice Commission’ and condemned by the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly.

According to our Rainbow Europe’s Index (May 2013), Moldova came 46^th among 49 European countries in terms of laws and policies affecting the human rights of LGBTI people.