Human rights groups have urged Romania to reject a bill banning so-called ‘gay propaganda’ in schools, like those introduced in Hungary and Russia.
The law, which has passed through the Senate, would see materials “promoting” being LGBTQ+ heavily restricted.
Parliament’s lower house has the final say on whether or not it is introduced, with activists calling on it to stop it moving forward.
LGBTQ+ rights groups such as ACCEPT and MozaiQ said the legislation must not be implemented as it will have the power to limit things such as news and movies with a focus on the community, as well as Pride marches and protests.
“Censorship in Budapest’s education system must not be enforced in Bucharest,” ACCEPT said in a statement to Reuters. “Romania must avoid the illiberal drift promoted by Hungary through such measures which were received harshly by the European Union.
“Adopting explicitly homophobic and transphobic legislation by censoring information about sexual orientation and gender identity is a shame on Romania. The lower house must vote to stop this incitement to discrimination.”
Lawmakers from UDMR, a junior ruling coalition party, spearheaded the bill, which they said exists to prevent child abuse.
MozaiQ demanded that the lower house “show responsibility and decency and reject any legal proposals which aim to demonise and marginalise the LGBT community.”
“In the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we believe adopting such a bill in Romania would … fuel Russian propaganda and Moscow disinformation campaigns.”
Although LGBTQ+ rights in Romania have come a long way, with homosexuality being decriminalised more than two decades ago, the country remains socially conservative and same-sex marriages and civil partnerships are illegal there.
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