New arguments over LGBT rights

The Association of Romanian Christian-Orthodox Students seeks to limit the right to assembly for groups of different sexual orientation or other groups which, in the organization's formulation, spread propaganda against values related to children’s rights. They put forward for discussion a draft amendment to the Penal Code, a subject that spurred controversy, Info-Prim Neo reports. Ombudswoman Tamara Plamadeala says that the current project is acceptable as there are indeed manifestations that harm children’s rights and promote antihuman values. The freedom of such meetings should be limited by penal stipulations so that they don’t infringe on children’s rights. Nonetheless, Tamara Plamadeala thinks that some issues of the amendment need to be further clarified. Ombudsman Anatolie Munteanu said that the initiative was groundless from a juridical point of view, as it had no studies or evidence to support it. “The project fails to meet some basic juridical requirements and is in open contradiction with the Law on freedom of assembly, which is unacceptable in a democratic society”, said Anatolie Munteanu. Members of the LGBT organization GenderDoc label the idea as a purely political and initiated by those who opposed the Law on Ensuring Equality. “This is yet another attempt to limit the LGBT rights. The goal isn’t to defend children’s rights, but to promote the same old discriminatory policy”, declared Artiom Zavadovschi, a GenderDoc member. Ghenadie Brega, one of the founders of Hyde Park Association, fumed that such an initiative fully denigrated the basic principles of a democratic society. Despite the heated arguments, the authors of the proposal announced they would submit the draft amendment to the authorities in its original form.