by Rex Wockner
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A government-supported bill to ban anti-gay and other discrimination has come under attack in Moldova's Parliament, where it is being debated.
According to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association of Europe, a number of MPs have called for the deletion of "sexual orientation" from the draft law after being encouraged to do so by "right-wing American evangelicals."
On March 17, about 150 anti-gay activists staged a protest outside Parliament dubbed "Homosexuals stay at home."
Said ILGA: "Aggressive homophobic rhetoric by religious organizations and a number of parliamentarians already resulted in threats being made to the members of GenderDoc-M, the leading Moldovan LGBTI rights organization. Alexei Marcicov, president of the organization, was verbally abused and had stones thrown at him near his home. Other human rights defenders supporting the anti-discrimination law have been threatened on the streets and near their homes."
ILGA-Europe's board co-chair, Martin K.I. Christensen, said Moldova has little choice but to pass the bill with gays included.
"Moldova committed to passing an anti-discrimination law protecting all minorities under its visa-liberalization agreement with the European Union," he said. "We call on the EU to assert its position with the Moldovan authorities and hold them accountable under their obligations."
