GayFest
Encyclopedia
GayFest is the annual gay pride
festival of Bucharest
, Romania
, which first took place in 2004 and now occurs in May-June of each year, lasting for nearly a week. It is organised by the non-profit organisation ACCEPT
, the country's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
(LGBT) rights organisation. The festival also receives funding from the Romanian Ministry of Health and the National Council for Combating Discrimination
, as well as a number of private organisations, such as the Open Society Institute
and the British Council
in Romania.
GayFest features various LGBT cultural events, such as film screenings, art exhibitions, theatre and parties, as well as seminars and debates concerning LGBT social issues; since 2005 the festival has also included a gay pride parade
. Current event organizer is Kyle David Kipp.
, was founded in Bucharest
, with two core aims: creating a better society for LGBT people in Romania, and changing negative social attitudes towards LGBT people. In the late 1990s, the LGBT rights movement was mainly concerned with lobbying for the repeal of Article 200
, which continued to criminalise public displays and promotion of homosexuality. In this context, the issue of organising a gay pride festival was not viable, particularly considering that public manifestations of homosexuality could have been prosecuted under Section 5 of Article 200, which read:
It is important to note, however, that in October 2000, while Article 200 was still in force, ACCEPT hosted the 22nd European Conference of the International Lesbian and Gay Association
in Bucharest. The event attracted around 100 participants from 27 countries, and created substantial dialogue and media attention about LGBT rights in Romania.
After pressure from ACCEPT as well as the European Union
and the Council of Europe
, Article 200 was repealed completely at the end of 2001, removing the last anti-gay law in Romania. Additionally, anti-discrimination legislation introduced in 2000 made it illegal to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation. This permitted a greater social visibility of LGBT people and culture, with several gay clubs opening from 2002 onwards. In this context, the organisation of a gay pride festival became much more viable, with ACCEPT seeking to use these festivals in order to further enhance the visibility of LGBT people, and, particularly through an emphasis on cultural events, further its aim of changing negative social attitudes toward LGBT people in Romania.
, Serbia
, which degenerated into violence. As part of the GayFest, the Goethe Institute in Bucharest hosted a photographic exhibition by Polish artist Karolina Bregula, titled Să ne vadă ("Let them see us") which explored the visibility of gays and lesbians in Poland.
According to Florin Buhuceanu, the executive director of ACCEPT
:
The festival was publicly supported by a number of high-profile figures, such as parliamentarian Mădălin Voicu
, who stated in the press that, "...we [Romanians] should adapt and realise that no more barriers exist in this domain except those imposed by decency...Homosexuals exist in all layers of society, starting from poor people to politicians, VIPs, etc."
The 2004 Diversity Festival was initially planned to be organised with the support of the National Council for Combating Discrimination
and Bucharest's Sector 3 Council, both of which later pulled out citing financial reasons, and resulting in the event being organised by ACCEPT with the support of several sponsors, including the Romanian Government
, the British Council
, the Goethe Institute, and the Embassy of Sweden in Bucharest.
A gay pride parade through central Bucharest was also initially projected, but was later abandoned, with various newspapers stating that Romanian society was not ready for such an event. Ştefan Iancu, the organiser of the 2004 Diversity Festival, stated to Ziarul, on 3 May 2004, that, "We wanted to do this [a pride parade], but we don't know if we would succeed in convincing gay people to come out into the streets. Evidently, they are too afraid of the repercussions (jobs lost, shocked parents, etc.)" Nonetheless, the next year a gay pride parade was organised as part of GayFest 2005.
The 2005 GayFest took place between 23 and 30 May, under the slogan of "You have the right to love". It sparked a significant amount of controversy in Romania, as it included the first gay pride parade in the country. Initially, the application for this parade, which took place on May 29, was rejected by the Bucharest City Hall, on the grounds that the city could not adequately provide security for the participants. Various right-wing groups, such as the nationalist Noua Dreaptă
, as well as the Romanian Orthodox Church
, also actively opposed the march and called for its ban.
The parade received authorisation, however, after intense lobbying from international gay rights campaigners and the National Council for Combating Discrimination
, as well as public support from President Traian Băsescu
and Justice Minister Monica Macovei
. It proceeded successfully, with about 300 people taking part, though some sources claim that as many as 850 participants were present. A counter-demonstration, which had not received approval from the City Hall, was organised by Noua Dreaptă, the participants of which displayed anti-gay banners and violently aimed to break up the pride parade. Several members of Noua Dreaptă were arrested, and the group was subsequently fined 3,000 lei
(approximately US$1,000). At the conclusion of the parade, the executive director of ACCEPT, Florin Buhuceanu, stated that:
Aside from the pride parade, an LGBT film festival was organised during the GayFest week, with 13 films being shown at three different venues: the Goethe Institute, La Motoare, and the Elvira Popescu Cinema. Two public debates and seminars were organised at La Scena, on the topics of homosexuality and religion, the mass media, and anti-discrimination laws.
"; neither is currently recognised in the country. During the GayFest week, ACCEPT
called on the state to legalise same-sex marriage, or at least civil unions, creating unprecedented media coverage and debate about this issue.
The GayFest Parade, which received authorisation from the City Hall on May 30, took place on June 3, starting at 18:00 and attracting approximately 800 participants, including LGBT rights activists from Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The parade included extravagant costumes, music and balloons, as well as the traditional 200-metre (626-foot) long rainbow flag that is featured at every GayFest parade. The participants also held up signs reading, "We love you!" and "Homophobia, the worst disease", while calling on the parliament to legalise same-sex marriage.
Alongside members of the LGBT community, the march was also attended by several supporters of civil rights
and human rights
, many of them heterosexual. One woman who participated in the parade stated to BBC News that:
Like last year's event, however, the 2006 parade was not without opposition. On May 30, twenty-two conservative NGOs, including the far right-wing Noua Dreaptă
, called on the Romanian Orthodox Church
to oppose the pride parade. On June 2, the Orthodox Church denounced the City Hall for permitting the march to take place, stating that it is "an affront to the morality of public institutions, and a danger ... for the formation of young people". Additionally, Noua Dreaptă filed a legal complaint in a Bucharest court to get the march banned, arguing that it was "obscene and anti-social". The complaint was not, however, successful, with the court declaring that the GayFest Parade should take place.
At 11:00 on June 3, a few hours before the GayFest Parade, Noua Dreaptă conducted a counter-demonstration, attended by approximately 150 people, for "family values" and "moral traditions", parading with Christian crosses and Orthodox icons, as well as Romanian flags and posters denouning homosexuality. Unlike in 2005, however, this march was not scheduled at the same time as the GayFest parade, and hence there were no violent clashes. Despite this, tens of protesters tried to break up the actual gay parade, clashing with the very strong police presence that shielded the LGBT activists. The protesters also held up signs reading "Romania does not need you" and threw eggs at the parade participants as well as the police. 51 anti-gay protesters were arrested and fined by police for provoking violence.
Following the parade, the organisers, ACCEPT, stated that despite the attempts by anti-gay protesters to break up the parade, they were pleased that the authorities had the situation under control, and that the number of participants in the parade was greater than expected. The two parties of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance — the Liberals
and the Democrats — issued a statement after the parade condemning the violent anti-gay protests and calling for tolerance. They did not, however, comment on the issue of same-sex unions. The opposition Social Democratic Party
also condemned the anti-gay violence.
A few days after the pride parade, the Cotidianul
newspaper interviewed Romania's main political parties about their stance on same-sex marriage in Romania
, which was the theme of the 2006 GayFest. The two governing parties of the Justice and Truth Alliance affirmed their support for gay rights, but were elusive on the issue of same-sex marriage, while the Social Democrats stated that they would not initiate or support a legislative proposal on same-sex marriage, but that a broader public debate on this issue is necessary, "in order to see in what way the standards regarding fundamental liberties can be improved with regard to people with another sexual orientation". The right-wing Conservatives
and Greater Romania Party
were opposed to same-sex marriage.
The festival also included seven short films, screened one after another, on the theme of "Men in privacy".
On Tuesday, June 5, the second day of the film festival, a gay couple were physically assaulted by a group of around eight people, as they were exiting the cinema where the films are shown. The police
intervened rapidly and arrested the aggressors. According to a statement by the police, one of the aggressors has been charged for assault. The spokesperson of the Bucharest Police, Christian Ciocan, stated that, "The person under question was taken to the police station, where he was charged for assault and other violences, risking a prison sentence of one to three months, or a penal fine." The status of the other attackers is unknown.
The Cărtureşti Bookstore also hosted a photo exhibition titled "Ce fac gayi şi lesbienele in pat?" (What do gays and lesbians do in bed?), which highlighted 16 photos from the Polish artists Rapari Team that presented the day-to-day activities of same-sex couples. The goal of the exhibition was to show that "the life of a gay individual or couple is not different from the life of a heterosexual individual or couple, and that the needs of people, indifferent of sexual orientation, are the same."
-Parcul Izvor
in central Bucharest. Although ACCEPT expected more than 1,000 people to attend, only around 500 took place, due to rain. For the first time, the parade included a series of speeches made on the subject of LGBT rights. Keynote speeches were made by Florin Buhuceanu (the vice-president of ACCEPT), Diane Fisher (a minister of the Metropolitan Community Church
), Maxim Anmeghicean (representing ILGA-Europe
), and Christoph Michl (from Stuttgart Gay Pride). Security at the parade was ensured by 400 gendarmes. Aside from the traditional rainbow flag, balloons and music, the participants held up signs saying "God loves us all" and "We love our gay sons and lesbian daughters"
Despite the unprecedented security, more than a hundred anti-gay protesters tried to break up the pride parade. The protesters failed to penetrate through the police cordon and, after throwing stones and firecrackers at police, they were dispersed with teargas and around 100 of them were arrested. According to Christian Ciocan, the police spokesperson, none of the participants in the pride parade was injured.
Florin Buhuceanu, the vicepresident of ACCEPT
, declared after the march:
Maxim Anmeghicean, the representative from ILGA-Europe
, stated that, "Even since I have participated at this march I have never seen such a strong presence by the forces of law and order". He remarked that the gendarmes had acted very professionally.
A few hours before the GayFest pride parade, at 10:00 in the morning, the far-right organisation Noua Dreaptă
organised a counter-demonstration against the GayFest, titled the "March for Normality". The event was attended by around 100 participants, bearing posters against same-sex marriage, Christian crosses, and fascist symbols. The Noua Dreaptă marchers were met by a group of around 20 antifascist ("antifa") protesters who shouted slogans such as "All different, all equal" and "Noua Dreaptă: Illegal", and declared that they are "protesting against the Nazist extremism which goes unpunished in Romanian society". The antifascist protesters were not affiliated to the organisers of the GayFest pride parade.
, Evenimentul Zilei
, and Adevărul
, including favourable editorials or articles about the event. Evenimentul Zilei's
Andrei Crăciun argued that, through GayFest 2007, "Bucharest is preparing for a new test of normality" where "normality means the ability to accept diversity, even if you don't agree [with something]." An editorial in the same newspaper by Emilian Isaila argued that same-sex marriage should be legalised and that "God" should not play a role in this debate. Isaila stated that, "Same-sex unions should be legalised so that those with another sexual orientation can benefit from rights regarding borrowing, common ownership of goods and inheritance. And I also believe that sexual minorities in Romania have the right at least once a year to provoke debate on this issue. After all, if we want it or not, society has to integrate them."
GayFest was also covered in the HotOrNot section or the Cotidianul
Weekend newspaper. The article, titled "If you're hetero[sexual], go to the gay parade", stated that, ""Participating in GayFest is hot because, aside from the fight against discrimination, it is a parade that is jolly, coloured and can be fun". At 12:00 on June 9, ProTV, the largest private TV network in Romania, screened a short documentary titled "Gays which made history". In celebration of GayFest 2007, the show sought to inform people more about international LGBT history and issues of diversity.
Following the pride parade, Libertatea
sought to investigate the opinion of the public with regard to the event. According to its findings, the majority of those interviewed saw the parade as something "perfectly normal in a democratic country". One passer-by stated, "It's good that they're expressing their views. It's their business what sexual inclinations they have. As long as they don't affect me with anything, they can do what they want. If the City Hall gave them permission to organise a meeting, why wouldn't they do it? Today, people hold meetings for everything." Another interviewee remarked, "Their manifestation doesn't affect me in any way. They can do what they want if the City Hall gave them the right. They can affirm their opinions, they can ask for their rights, since we live in a free country."
The GayFest 2007 received an official letter of support and solidarity from the organisers of Zagreb Pride
, as well as from Herta Däubler-Gmelin
, a member of the German Bundestag
and former Justice Minister of Germany.
issued a statement against the pride parade on June 7, stating that it "disapproves the manifestation in the public space of the sexual minorities...as it considers it to be an offence to the morality of public life, to the sacred institution of the family, the basis of society, and a danger for the formation of the younger generation, by exposing the youth to moral corruption."
The parade was, however, supported by the Metropolitan Community Church
in Bucharest, with the church's pastor, Diane Fisher, making a keynote address.
, the vice-president of the Liberal Democratic Party
, stated in a television interview that he has "a poor opinion" of LGBT
people, and that he disapproves of the liberties they have obtained.
Radu Ţîrle
, a Romanian MEP
representing the Democratic Party, expressed his opposition to the gay pride parade, stating "The homosexual parade in Bucharest is a shame for Romania. It is regrettable that behind the so-called freedom of sexual orientation and freedom of opinion, the proselytism of this deviant and immoral behaviour is allowed to proliferate. The sexual orientation of anyone is a purely personal matter and its freedom is guaranteed by law, but it should not degenerate into manifestations which tend towards proselytism." Ţîrle also criticised the Bucharest City Hall for authorising the march. Ţîrle has in the past made derogatory comments about other minorities, such as the Roma
, Hungarians, and religious minorities, and in December 2006 the Democratic Party voted to no longer endorse him as a candidate for the next European Parliament elections. It is important to note that the Mayor of Bucharest, Adriean Videanu
, who authorised the pride parade, is also a member of the Democratic Party.
Gigi Becali
, known for his repeated homophobic comments at previous LGBT events, stated, "I have nothing against them, but why they make a parade, I don’t understand. Let them meet in the park, 300, 500 of them, to make a show. I would have nothing against it, but a parade, propaganda? It is abnormal." Becali, who is also the president of the Steaua football club, stated that he doesn't want any more homosexuals coming to Ghencea Stadium
, but later appeared to contradict himself by saying "Discrimination? It's discrimination if I don't let them come. Where's the discrimination?" The National Council for Combating Discrimination
announced that it will be investigating if Becali's comments breach Romania's anti-discrimination laws, which also cover speech. In a later interview, however, Becali declared, "I love them [homosexuals] in the same way that I love all other people. They can marry at the City Hall, every day, 10 of them if they want to. But in church, they don't have a place.
Corneliu Vadim Tudor
, the president of the far-right Greater Romania Party
, stated that public manifestations of homosexuality should be banned, because they "violate the sight, hearing and education of children" and "provoke the Church". However, he added that violence against LGBT people is a "form of barbarism", and should not be accepted under any circumstances.
and other far-right groups, there were no violent incidents at the 2008 pride parade, with very significant police presence protecting participants. However, turnout was lower than at previous events, with only around 200-300 people marching.
, the operator of the Bucharest Metro
, to display anti-homophobia advertising in several metro stations. During GayFest, the United Kingdom Embassy also hosted a "Diversity Barbecue" which drew together human rights activists and representatives from NGOs.
, Michel Teychenné
and Helene Goudin
, the Ambassadors of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Sweden, the directors of the Polish Institute and Goethe Institute in Bucharest, and Boris Dittrich, the LGBT rights director at Human Rights Watch
. During the parade, British Ambassador Robin Barnett announced that the United Kingdom supported the gay rights struggle and was pleased at the "fantastic celebration" for diversity taking place in Bucharest. The Dutch Ambassador, Jaap Louis Werner, also held a speech, stating, "We are here to show our solidarity. We know what you want. You want to be treated like normal people with the same protections before the law". Letters of support were received from the French Ambassador to Romania, as well as three openly-LGBT officials from the United Kingdom: Angela Eagle
, Ben Bradshaw
and Chris Bryant
.
A counter-march against the gay pride parade, titled "March for Family", was held on Friday, 22 May by several conservative Orthodox groups. Nevertheless, while 1000 participants were expected, less than 100 took part. Furthermore, for the first time, the Romanian Orthodox Church announced its opposition to the anti-gay march, stating that "noisy street manifestations" were incompatible with religion. The Church nonetheless expressed its continuing opposition to GayFest, arguing that it was a threat to traditional family values.
, with the Executive President of the Party, Remus Cernea
, taking part, along with other high-ranking members from the party.
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
festival of Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, which first took place in 2004 and now occurs in May-June of each year, lasting for nearly a week. It is organised by the non-profit organisation ACCEPT
ACCEPT
ACCEPT is the primary nongovernmental organization advocating for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in Romania. It is based in Bucharest and also acts as the Romanian representative at ILGA-Europe...
, the country's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
(LGBT) rights organisation. The festival also receives funding from the Romanian Ministry of Health and the National Council for Combating Discrimination
National Council for Combating Discrimination
The National Council for Combating Discrimination is an agency of the Romanian government, established in 2001 and responsible for applying Romanian and European Union anti-discrimination laws and managing the National Anti-Discrimination Plan. The legal status of the CNCD was established by the...
, as well as a number of private organisations, such as the Open Society Institute
Open Society Institute
The Open Society Institute , renamed in 2011 to Open Society Foundations, is a private operating and grantmaking foundation started by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform...
and the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
in Romania.
GayFest features various LGBT cultural events, such as film screenings, art exhibitions, theatre and parties, as well as seminars and debates concerning LGBT social issues; since 2005 the festival has also included a gay pride parade
Gay pride parade
Pride parades for the LGBT community are events celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture. The events also at times serve as demonstrations for legal rights such as same-sex marriage...
. Current event organizer is Kyle David Kipp.
Background
The Romanian gay rights movement began gaining ground in the mid-1990s, after homosexual sex between two consenting adults in private was decriminalised in 1996. In the same year, Romania's first gay rights organisation, ACCEPTACCEPT
ACCEPT is the primary nongovernmental organization advocating for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in Romania. It is based in Bucharest and also acts as the Romanian representative at ILGA-Europe...
, was founded in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, with two core aims: creating a better society for LGBT people in Romania, and changing negative social attitudes towards LGBT people. In the late 1990s, the LGBT rights movement was mainly concerned with lobbying for the repeal of Article 200
Article 200
Article 200 was a section of the Penal Code of Romania that criminalised homosexual relationships. It was introduced in 1968, under the communist regime, during the rule Nicolae Ceauşescu, and remained in force until it was repealed by the Năstase government on 22 June 2001...
, which continued to criminalise public displays and promotion of homosexuality. In this context, the issue of organising a gay pride festival was not viable, particularly considering that public manifestations of homosexuality could have been prosecuted under Section 5 of Article 200, which read:
It is important to note, however, that in October 2000, while Article 200 was still in force, ACCEPT hosted the 22nd European Conference of the International Lesbian and Gay Association
International Lesbian and Gay Association
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association is an international organization bringing together more than 750 LGBTI groups from around the world. It continues to be active in campaigning for LGBT rights on the international human rights and civil rights scene and...
in Bucharest. The event attracted around 100 participants from 27 countries, and created substantial dialogue and media attention about LGBT rights in Romania.
After pressure from ACCEPT as well as the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
, Article 200 was repealed completely at the end of 2001, removing the last anti-gay law in Romania. Additionally, anti-discrimination legislation introduced in 2000 made it illegal to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation. This permitted a greater social visibility of LGBT people and culture, with several gay clubs opening from 2002 onwards. In this context, the organisation of a gay pride festival became much more viable, with ACCEPT seeking to use these festivals in order to further enhance the visibility of LGBT people, and, particularly through an emphasis on cultural events, further its aim of changing negative social attitudes toward LGBT people in Romania.
GayFest 2004
The GayFest 2004 was, at that time, the first LGBT festival ever organised in Romania, and took place between 3 and 9 May. It was initially titled "The Diversity Festival", and had the theme of "You have the right to be diverse". The festival was mainly centred on public debates concerning attitudes towards LGBT people in Romania, as well as cultural events. Several publications on LGBT issues, such as George Bălan's Homofobia, were officially launched, and Romania's first LGBT film festival was organised, with nine films from nine different countries, including a documentary about the 2001 gay pride parade in BelgradeBelgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, which degenerated into violence. As part of the GayFest, the Goethe Institute in Bucharest hosted a photographic exhibition by Polish artist Karolina Bregula, titled Să ne vadă ("Let them see us") which explored the visibility of gays and lesbians in Poland.
According to Florin Buhuceanu, the executive director of ACCEPT
ACCEPT
ACCEPT is the primary nongovernmental organization advocating for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in Romania. It is based in Bucharest and also acts as the Romanian representative at ILGA-Europe...
:
The festival was publicly supported by a number of high-profile figures, such as parliamentarian Mădălin Voicu
Madalin Voicu
Mădălin Ştefan Voicu is a Romanian musician and politician of Romani ethnicity. Voicu is a member of the Social Democratic Party , and has been a parliamentarian in the Chamber of Deputies since 1996...
, who stated in the press that, "...we [Romanians] should adapt and realise that no more barriers exist in this domain except those imposed by decency...Homosexuals exist in all layers of society, starting from poor people to politicians, VIPs, etc."
The 2004 Diversity Festival was initially planned to be organised with the support of the National Council for Combating Discrimination
National Council for Combating Discrimination
The National Council for Combating Discrimination is an agency of the Romanian government, established in 2001 and responsible for applying Romanian and European Union anti-discrimination laws and managing the National Anti-Discrimination Plan. The legal status of the CNCD was established by the...
and Bucharest's Sector 3 Council, both of which later pulled out citing financial reasons, and resulting in the event being organised by ACCEPT with the support of several sponsors, including the Romanian Government
Government of Romania
The Government of Romania forms one half of the country's executive branch . It is headed by the Prime-Minister, and consists of the Ministries, various subordinated institutions and agencies, and the 42 Prefectures...
, the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
, the Goethe Institute, and the Embassy of Sweden in Bucharest.
A gay pride parade through central Bucharest was also initially projected, but was later abandoned, with various newspapers stating that Romanian society was not ready for such an event. Ştefan Iancu, the organiser of the 2004 Diversity Festival, stated to Ziarul, on 3 May 2004, that, "We wanted to do this [a pride parade], but we don't know if we would succeed in convincing gay people to come out into the streets. Evidently, they are too afraid of the repercussions (jobs lost, shocked parents, etc.)" Nonetheless, the next year a gay pride parade was organised as part of GayFest 2005.
GayFest 2005
Noua Dreapta
Noua Dreaptă is an ultra-nationalist organization in Romania and Moldova, founded in 2000.-Beliefs:The group's beliefs include militant nationalism and strong Orthodox Christian religious convictions...
, as well as the Romanian Orthodox Church
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
, also actively opposed the march and called for its ban.
The parade received authorisation, however, after intense lobbying from international gay rights campaigners and the National Council for Combating Discrimination
National Council for Combating Discrimination
The National Council for Combating Discrimination is an agency of the Romanian government, established in 2001 and responsible for applying Romanian and European Union anti-discrimination laws and managing the National Anti-Discrimination Plan. The legal status of the CNCD was established by the...
, as well as public support from President Traian Băsescu
Traian Basescu
Traian Băsescu is the current President of Romania. After serving as the mayor of Bucharest from June 2000 until December 2004, he was elected president in the Romanian Presidential Elections of 2004 and inaugurated on December 20, 2004...
and Justice Minister Monica Macovei
Monica Macovei
Monica Luisa Macovei is a Romanian politician, lawyer and former prosecutor, currently a Member of the European Parliament from the Democratic Liberal Party. She was the Minister of Justice of Romania in the first cabinet of Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu...
. It proceeded successfully, with about 300 people taking part, though some sources claim that as many as 850 participants were present. A counter-demonstration, which had not received approval from the City Hall, was organised by Noua Dreaptă, the participants of which displayed anti-gay banners and violently aimed to break up the pride parade. Several members of Noua Dreaptă were arrested, and the group was subsequently fined 3,000 lei
Romanian leu
The leu is the currency of Romania. It is subdivided into 100 bani . The name of the currency means "lion". On 1 July 2005, Romania underwent a currency reform, switching from the previous leu to a new leu . 1 RON is equal to 10,000 ROL...
(approximately US$1,000). At the conclusion of the parade, the executive director of ACCEPT, Florin Buhuceanu, stated that:
Aside from the pride parade, an LGBT film festival was organised during the GayFest week, with 13 films being shown at three different venues: the Goethe Institute, La Motoare, and the Elvira Popescu Cinema. Two public debates and seminars were organised at La Scena, on the topics of homosexuality and religion, the mass media, and anti-discrimination laws.
GayFest 2006
The 2006 GayFest took place between 30 May and 4 June, and was organised under the title of "Same rights, same responsibilities". The central theme was that of "Same-sex marriage and civil unions in RomaniaSame-sex marriage in Romania
Romania does not recognise same-sex unions, either in the form of same-sex marriage or civil unions.-2004 election campaign:Romanian President Traian Băsescu said during his electoral campaign of late 2004 that he sees nothing wrong with same sex marriage...
"; neither is currently recognised in the country. During the GayFest week, ACCEPT
ACCEPT
ACCEPT is the primary nongovernmental organization advocating for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in Romania. It is based in Bucharest and also acts as the Romanian representative at ILGA-Europe...
called on the state to legalise same-sex marriage, or at least civil unions, creating unprecedented media coverage and debate about this issue.
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, many of them heterosexual. One woman who participated in the parade stated to BBC News that:
Like last year's event, however, the 2006 parade was not without opposition. On May 30, twenty-two conservative NGOs, including the far right-wing Noua Dreaptă
Noua Dreapta
Noua Dreaptă is an ultra-nationalist organization in Romania and Moldova, founded in 2000.-Beliefs:The group's beliefs include militant nationalism and strong Orthodox Christian religious convictions...
, called on the Romanian Orthodox Church
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
to oppose the pride parade. On June 2, the Orthodox Church denounced the City Hall for permitting the march to take place, stating that it is "an affront to the morality of public institutions, and a danger ... for the formation of young people". Additionally, Noua Dreaptă filed a legal complaint in a Bucharest court to get the march banned, arguing that it was "obscene and anti-social". The complaint was not, however, successful, with the court declaring that the GayFest Parade should take place.
National Liberal Party (Romania)
The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social...
and the Democrats — issued a statement after the parade condemning the violent anti-gay protests and calling for tolerance. They did not, however, comment on the issue of same-sex unions. The opposition Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Romania)
The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always...
also condemned the anti-gay violence.
A few days after the pride parade, the Cotidianul
Cotidianul
thumb|right|Old logo of Cotidianul newspaper, used in the [[inter-war period]], and in the early 1990sthumb|right|The logo used between 2003 and 2007...
newspaper interviewed Romania's main political parties about their stance on same-sex marriage in Romania
Same-sex marriage in Romania
Romania does not recognise same-sex unions, either in the form of same-sex marriage or civil unions.-2004 election campaign:Romanian President Traian Băsescu said during his electoral campaign of late 2004 that he sees nothing wrong with same sex marriage...
, which was the theme of the 2006 GayFest. The two governing parties of the Justice and Truth Alliance affirmed their support for gay rights, but were elusive on the issue of same-sex marriage, while the Social Democrats stated that they would not initiate or support a legislative proposal on same-sex marriage, but that a broader public debate on this issue is necessary, "in order to see in what way the standards regarding fundamental liberties can be improved with regard to people with another sexual orientation". The right-wing Conservatives
Conservative Party (Romania)
The Conservative Party of Romania is a political party formed in 1991, after the fall of Communism, under the name of the Romanian Humanist Party . From 2005 until December 3, 2006, the party was a junior member of the ruling coalition...
and Greater Romania Party
Greater Romania Party
The Greater Romania Party is a Romanian radical right-wing, ultra-nationalist political party, led by Corneliu Vadim Tudor. The party is sometimes referred to in English as the Great Romania Party....
were opposed to same-sex marriage.
GayFest 2007
The 2007 GayFest was held between 4 and 9 June 2007, with the theme of "Celebrate diversity! Respect rights!" The festival included a pride parade, art exhibitions and a film festival, as well as two public debates (one on discrimination and another on religion and democracy). As in 2006, the 2007 GayFest focused on the issue of same-sex marriage and partnership, provoking another public debate about the issue in the Romanian media and society. According to ACCEPT, the focus on same-sex unions was because "the adoption of legislation in this regard is a decisive step for affirming the equality of rights for all citizens"Film festival
The 2007 GayFest included the Inklusiv Film Festival, which showcased nine feature-length international films and documentaries about LGBT issues:- KinseyKinsey (film)Kinsey is a 2004 biographical film written and directed by Bill Condon. It describes the life of Alfred Kinsey , a pioneer in the area of sexology. His 1948 publication, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male was one of the first recorded works that tried to scientifically address and investigate...
(USA, 2005) - Heneini (USA, 2005)
- TransparentTransparent (film)Transparent is a 2005 documentary film about the experiences of 19 female-to-male transgender parents as they are coming to terms with gender transitioning...
(USA, 2005) - Gypo (UK, 2005)
- The End of Second Class (Canada, 2005)
- Tying the Knot (USA, 2004)
- Politics of the Heart (Canada, 2005)
- Inlaws and Outlaws (USA, 2005)
- The Conrad Brothers (USA, 2006)
The festival also included seven short films, screened one after another, on the theme of "Men in privacy".
On Tuesday, June 5, the second day of the film festival, a gay couple were physically assaulted by a group of around eight people, as they were exiting the cinema where the films are shown. The police
Romanian Police
The Romanian Police is the national police force and main civil law enforcement agency in Romania. It is subordinated to the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform.-Duties:The Romanian Police are responsible for:...
intervened rapidly and arrested the aggressors. According to a statement by the police, one of the aggressors has been charged for assault. The spokesperson of the Bucharest Police, Christian Ciocan, stated that, "The person under question was taken to the police station, where he was charged for assault and other violences, risking a prison sentence of one to three months, or a penal fine." The status of the other attackers is unknown.
Exhibitions
The 2007 GayFest included two photographic exhibitions highlighting LGBT issues. The first exhibition, Parteneri de viaţa – album de nuntă ("Partners for life - wedding album") was held at the InfoEuropa Centre and presented photographs and testimonies from the first same-sex marriages conducted in San Francisco in 2004. The photographic project, which was created by the San Francisco Queer Cultural Center and Bay Area Community of Women, sought to "transmit the idea of the universality of love, acceptance and understanding."The Cărtureşti Bookstore also hosted a photo exhibition titled "Ce fac gayi şi lesbienele in pat?" (What do gays and lesbians do in bed?), which highlighted 16 photos from the Polish artists Rapari Team that presented the day-to-day activities of same-sex couples. The goal of the exhibition was to show that "the life of a gay individual or couple is not different from the life of a heterosexual individual or couple, and that the needs of people, indifferent of sexual orientation, are the same."
Pride parade
The GayFest pride parade was held on June 8, between 17:00 and 19:00, on the route Bd. Decebal-Piaţa UniriiPiata Unirii
Piața Unirii is one of the largest squares in central Bucharest, located in the center of the city where Sectors 1, 2, 3, and 4 meet. It is bisected by Unirii Boulevard, originally built during the Communist era as the Boulevard of the Victory of Socialism, and renamed after the Romanian...
-Parcul Izvor
Izvor
Izvor may refer to several places:* Izvor, a village in Cornereva Commune, Caraş-Severin County* Izvor, a village in Şimnicu de Sus Commune, Dolj County* Izvor metro station in Bucharest* Izvor, a village in the Čaška municipality, Republic of Macedonia....
in central Bucharest. Although ACCEPT expected more than 1,000 people to attend, only around 500 took place, due to rain. For the first time, the parade included a series of speeches made on the subject of LGBT rights. Keynote speeches were made by Florin Buhuceanu (the vice-president of ACCEPT), Diane Fisher (a minister of the Metropolitan Community Church
Metropolitan Community Church
The Metropolitan Community Church or The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is an international Protestant Christian denomination...
), Maxim Anmeghicean (representing ILGA-Europe
ILGA-Europe
ILGA-Europe is the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.ILGA-Europe is a non-governmental umbrella organisation which represents its members, principally organisations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, at the European level.Its...
), and Christoph Michl (from Stuttgart Gay Pride). Security at the parade was ensured by 400 gendarmes. Aside from the traditional rainbow flag, balloons and music, the participants held up signs saying "God loves us all" and "We love our gay sons and lesbian daughters"
Despite the unprecedented security, more than a hundred anti-gay protesters tried to break up the pride parade. The protesters failed to penetrate through the police cordon and, after throwing stones and firecrackers at police, they were dispersed with teargas and around 100 of them were arrested. According to Christian Ciocan, the police spokesperson, none of the participants in the pride parade was injured.
Florin Buhuceanu, the vicepresident of ACCEPT
ACCEPT
ACCEPT is the primary nongovernmental organization advocating for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in Romania. It is based in Bucharest and also acts as the Romanian representative at ILGA-Europe...
, declared after the march:
Maxim Anmeghicean, the representative from ILGA-Europe
ILGA-Europe
ILGA-Europe is the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.ILGA-Europe is a non-governmental umbrella organisation which represents its members, principally organisations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, at the European level.Its...
, stated that, "Even since I have participated at this march I have never seen such a strong presence by the forces of law and order". He remarked that the gendarmes had acted very professionally.
A few hours before the GayFest pride parade, at 10:00 in the morning, the far-right organisation Noua Dreaptă
Noua Dreapta
Noua Dreaptă is an ultra-nationalist organization in Romania and Moldova, founded in 2000.-Beliefs:The group's beliefs include militant nationalism and strong Orthodox Christian religious convictions...
organised a counter-demonstration against the GayFest, titled the "March for Normality". The event was attended by around 100 participants, bearing posters against same-sex marriage, Christian crosses, and fascist symbols. The Noua Dreaptă marchers were met by a group of around 20 antifascist ("antifa") protesters who shouted slogans such as "All different, all equal" and "Noua Dreaptă: Illegal", and declared that they are "protesting against the Nazist extremism which goes unpunished in Romanian society". The antifascist protesters were not affiliated to the organisers of the GayFest pride parade.
Reactions
Media reactions to the 2007 GayFest have been more positive than in previous years, with three of the largest daily newspapers, CotidianulCotidianul
thumb|right|Old logo of Cotidianul newspaper, used in the [[inter-war period]], and in the early 1990sthumb|right|The logo used between 2003 and 2007...
, Evenimentul Zilei
Evenimentul Zilei
Evenimentul Zilei is one of the leading newspapers in Romania. Based in Bucharest, the Romanian-language daily has a paid daily circulation of 110,000...
, and Adevărul
Adevarul
Adevărul is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in 1871 and reestablished in 1888, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published during the Romanian Kingdom's existence, adopting an independent pro-democratic position, advocating land reform and universal suffrage...
, including favourable editorials or articles about the event. Evenimentul Zilei's
Evenimentul Zilei
Evenimentul Zilei is one of the leading newspapers in Romania. Based in Bucharest, the Romanian-language daily has a paid daily circulation of 110,000...
Andrei Crăciun argued that, through GayFest 2007, "Bucharest is preparing for a new test of normality" where "normality means the ability to accept diversity, even if you don't agree [with something]." An editorial in the same newspaper by Emilian Isaila argued that same-sex marriage should be legalised and that "God" should not play a role in this debate. Isaila stated that, "Same-sex unions should be legalised so that those with another sexual orientation can benefit from rights regarding borrowing, common ownership of goods and inheritance. And I also believe that sexual minorities in Romania have the right at least once a year to provoke debate on this issue. After all, if we want it or not, society has to integrate them."
GayFest was also covered in the HotOrNot section or the Cotidianul
Cotidianul
thumb|right|Old logo of Cotidianul newspaper, used in the [[inter-war period]], and in the early 1990sthumb|right|The logo used between 2003 and 2007...
Weekend newspaper. The article, titled "If you're hetero[sexual], go to the gay parade", stated that, ""Participating in GayFest is hot because, aside from the fight against discrimination, it is a parade that is jolly, coloured and can be fun". At 12:00 on June 9, ProTV, the largest private TV network in Romania, screened a short documentary titled "Gays which made history". In celebration of GayFest 2007, the show sought to inform people more about international LGBT history and issues of diversity.
Following the pride parade, Libertatea
Libertatea
Libertatea is a Romanian tabloid newspaper published in Bucharest. Libertatea was the first newspaper that appeared after Romanian Revolution, the first edition was in 22 December 1989 at midday, first newspaper announcing the people the fact the president dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu fled the...
sought to investigate the opinion of the public with regard to the event. According to its findings, the majority of those interviewed saw the parade as something "perfectly normal in a democratic country". One passer-by stated, "It's good that they're expressing their views. It's their business what sexual inclinations they have. As long as they don't affect me with anything, they can do what they want. If the City Hall gave them permission to organise a meeting, why wouldn't they do it? Today, people hold meetings for everything." Another interviewee remarked, "Their manifestation doesn't affect me in any way. They can do what they want if the City Hall gave them the right. They can affirm their opinions, they can ask for their rights, since we live in a free country."
The GayFest 2007 received an official letter of support and solidarity from the organisers of Zagreb Pride
Zagreb Pride
Zagreb Pride is the annual pride march and LGBTIQ demonstration of Zagreb, Croatia, which first took place in 2002 and now occurs in June of each year, lasting for a few days. Zagreb Pride is the first successful pride march held in the Balkans, just a year after a bloody showdown at 2001 ...
, as well as from Herta Däubler-Gmelin
Herta Däubler-Gmelin
Herta Däubler-Gmelin is a former German Minister of Justice. Amid controversy, she resigned in 2002 after a remark about George W. Bush.-History:...
, a member of the German Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
and former Justice Minister of Germany.
Religious groups
The Romanian Orthodox ChurchRomanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
issued a statement against the pride parade on June 7, stating that it "disapproves the manifestation in the public space of the sexual minorities...as it considers it to be an offence to the morality of public life, to the sacred institution of the family, the basis of society, and a danger for the formation of the younger generation, by exposing the youth to moral corruption."
The parade was, however, supported by the Metropolitan Community Church
Metropolitan Community Church
The Metropolitan Community Church or The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is an international Protestant Christian denomination...
in Bucharest, with the church's pastor, Diane Fisher, making a keynote address.
Political reactions
GayFest 2007 did not receive an official reaction from any political party in Romania. Some politicians did, however, make homophobic comments regarding the event. Gheorghe FluturGheorghe Flutur
Gheorge Flutur is a Romanian politician, member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He was previously a member of the National Liberal Party, which he resigned from in November 2006. Between December 2004 and November 2006, Flutur was the Minister of Agriculture in the Tăriceanu government...
, the vice-president of the Liberal Democratic Party
Liberal Democratic Party (Romania)
The Liberal Democratic Party was a political party in Romania, formed in December 2006 as a breakaway group from the National Liberal Party...
, stated in a television interview that he has "a poor opinion" of LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
people, and that he disapproves of the liberties they have obtained.
Radu Ţîrle
Radu Tîrle
Radu Ţârle is a Romanian politician. Between 1 January 2007 and November 2007, he was a Member of the European Parliament on behalf of the Democratic Party ....
, a Romanian MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
representing the Democratic Party, expressed his opposition to the gay pride parade, stating "The homosexual parade in Bucharest is a shame for Romania. It is regrettable that behind the so-called freedom of sexual orientation and freedom of opinion, the proselytism of this deviant and immoral behaviour is allowed to proliferate. The sexual orientation of anyone is a purely personal matter and its freedom is guaranteed by law, but it should not degenerate into manifestations which tend towards proselytism." Ţîrle also criticised the Bucharest City Hall for authorising the march. Ţîrle has in the past made derogatory comments about other minorities, such as the Roma
Roma minority in Romania
The Roma constitute one of the major minorities in Romania. According to the 2002 census, they number 535,140 people or 2.5% of the total population, being the second-largest ethnic minority in Romania after Hungarians...
, Hungarians, and religious minorities, and in December 2006 the Democratic Party voted to no longer endorse him as a candidate for the next European Parliament elections. It is important to note that the Mayor of Bucharest, Adriean Videanu
Adriean Videanu
Adriean Videanu is a businessman and former mayor of Bucharest, Romania. He is also a vice president of the Democratic Liberal Party of Romania, which is led by Emil Boc and the Minister of Economy in the Boc Cabinet, from 22 December 2008.A businessman in the marble and granite industry, Videanu...
, who authorised the pride parade, is also a member of the Democratic Party.
Gigi Becali
Gigi Becali
George Becali is a controversial Romanian politician and businessman, mostly known for his involvement in the Steaua Bucureşti football club.He has been a Member of the European Parliament since June 2009.-Biography:...
, known for his repeated homophobic comments at previous LGBT events, stated, "I have nothing against them, but why they make a parade, I don’t understand. Let them meet in the park, 300, 500 of them, to make a show. I would have nothing against it, but a parade, propaganda? It is abnormal." Becali, who is also the president of the Steaua football club, stated that he doesn't want any more homosexuals coming to Ghencea Stadium
Ghencea Stadium
Steaua Stadium , informally also known as Ghencea, is a football stadium in Bucharest, Romania, home of Ministry of National Defence of Romania. Also called Ghencea Stadium, it was inaugurated on 9 April 1974 when Steaua played a friendly game against OFK Belgrade, 2–2.Tătaru was the first player...
, but later appeared to contradict himself by saying "Discrimination? It's discrimination if I don't let them come. Where's the discrimination?" The National Council for Combating Discrimination
National Council for Combating Discrimination
The National Council for Combating Discrimination is an agency of the Romanian government, established in 2001 and responsible for applying Romanian and European Union anti-discrimination laws and managing the National Anti-Discrimination Plan. The legal status of the CNCD was established by the...
announced that it will be investigating if Becali's comments breach Romania's anti-discrimination laws, which also cover speech. In a later interview, however, Becali declared, "I love them [homosexuals] in the same way that I love all other people. They can marry at the City Hall, every day, 10 of them if they want to. But in church, they don't have a place.
Corneliu Vadim Tudor
Corneliu Vadim Tudor
Corneliu Vadim Tudor is leader of the Greater Romania Party , writer, journalist and a Member of the European Parliament...
, the president of the far-right Greater Romania Party
Greater Romania Party
The Greater Romania Party is a Romanian radical right-wing, ultra-nationalist political party, led by Corneliu Vadim Tudor. The party is sometimes referred to in English as the Great Romania Party....
, stated that public manifestations of homosexuality should be banned, because they "violate the sight, hearing and education of children" and "provoke the Church". However, he added that violence against LGBT people is a "form of barbarism", and should not be accepted under any circumstances.
GayFest 2008
The fifth GayFest took place between 19 and 24 May 2008. It included a film festival, public art exhibitions and public discussions, as well as the traditional gay pride parade through central Bucharest. Although counterdemonstrations were organised by Noua DreaptăNoua Dreapta
Noua Dreaptă is an ultra-nationalist organization in Romania and Moldova, founded in 2000.-Beliefs:The group's beliefs include militant nationalism and strong Orthodox Christian religious convictions...
and other far-right groups, there were no violent incidents at the 2008 pride parade, with very significant police presence protecting participants. However, turnout was lower than at previous events, with only around 200-300 people marching.
Film festival
The 2008 film festival component of GayFest will be the largest to date, showcasing fifteen LGBT-themed films and documentaries from around the world. A few films from the 2007 festival will also be repeated. They are:- Finn's Girl (Canada, 2007)
- Trembling before G-d (Israel/United States, 2001)
- Un amour a taire (France, 2005)
- The Gymnast (United States, 2006)
- Les chansons d'amour (France, 2007)
- Au-dela de la haine (France, 2007)
- Monsieur Max (France, 2007)
- The End of Second Class (Canada, 2005)
- 533 Statements (Canada, 2005)
- She's a Boy I Knew (Canada, 2007)
- Heneini (USA, 2005)
- Not That Kind of Christian!! (United States, 2007)
- Daddy and the Muscle Academy (Finland, 1991)
- Dos miradas (Spain, 2007)
- Innocent (Canada/Hong Kong, 2005)
GayFest 2009
GayFest 2009 took place between 18 and 24 May. The political theme of the 2009 GayFest was the legalisation of civil partnerships (parteneriat civil). Alongside the now-traditional gay pride parade, there was a film festival, photographic exhibitions, concerts, workshops, lectures, public debates and parties. For the first time, ACCEPT entered into a partnership with MetrorexMetrorex
Metrorex is the Romanian company which runs the Bucharest Metro. Metrorex is due to be merged with Bucharest's surface transport operator, RATB, to form the Bucharest Metropolitan Transport Corporation from mid-2007....
, the operator of the Bucharest Metro
Bucharest Metro
The Bucharest Metro is an underground urban railway network that serves the capital of Romania, Bucharest. The network is run by Metrorex. It is one of the most accessed systems of the Bucharest public transport network with a ridership of 177.23 million passengers in 2010...
, to display anti-homophobia advertising in several metro stations. During GayFest, the United Kingdom Embassy also hosted a "Diversity Barbecue" which drew together human rights activists and representatives from NGOs.
Pride parade
The GayFest pride parade closed the festival, taking place on Saturday, 23 May at 17:00. Around 200 to 300 participants took part. The parade received substantial police protection, and no anti-gay violence was reported. It was more festive than in previous years, with pop music, balloons and giant rainbow flags. Several European officials attended, including MEPs Michael CashmanMichael Cashman
Michael Maurice Cashman is a British former actor, now a Labour politician. He has been a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands constituency since 1999.- Acting :...
, Michel Teychenné
Michel Teychenné
Michel Teychenné is a French politician and a former Member of the European Parliament for the south-west of France...
and Helene Goudin
Hélène Goudin
Hélène Goudin is a Swedish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the June List; part of the Independence and Democracy group. Goudin is a Vice Chair of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and Co-President and Treasurer of the EUDemocrats - Alliance for a Europe of Democracies.-...
, the Ambassadors of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Sweden, the directors of the Polish Institute and Goethe Institute in Bucharest, and Boris Dittrich, the LGBT rights director at Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
. During the parade, British Ambassador Robin Barnett announced that the United Kingdom supported the gay rights struggle and was pleased at the "fantastic celebration" for diversity taking place in Bucharest. The Dutch Ambassador, Jaap Louis Werner, also held a speech, stating, "We are here to show our solidarity. We know what you want. You want to be treated like normal people with the same protections before the law". Letters of support were received from the French Ambassador to Romania, as well as three openly-LGBT officials from the United Kingdom: Angela Eagle
Angela Eagle
Angela Eagle is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Wallasey since 1992. She served as the Minister of State for Pensions and Ageing Society from June 2009 until May 2010. Eagle was elected to the Shadow Cabinet in October 2010 and was appointed by Ed...
, Ben Bradshaw
Ben Bradshaw
Benjamin Peter James Bradshaw is a British Labour politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Exeter since 1997, and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport....
and Chris Bryant
Chris Bryant
Christopher John Bryant is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Rhondda since 2001...
.
A counter-march against the gay pride parade, titled "March for Family", was held on Friday, 22 May by several conservative Orthodox groups. Nevertheless, while 1000 participants were expected, less than 100 took part. Furthermore, for the first time, the Romanian Orthodox Church announced its opposition to the anti-gay march, stating that "noisy street manifestations" were incompatible with religion. The Church nonetheless expressed its continuing opposition to GayFest, arguing that it was a threat to traditional family values.
GayFest 2010
GayFest 2010 took place successfully. Like last year, the pride parade took place without any violent incidents. For the first time, the parade received official support from the Green PartyGreen Party (Romania)
The Green Party , often shortened to The Greens is a Romanian political party centred on green politics. It is a member of the European Green Party.-Policies:...
, with the Executive President of the Party, Remus Cernea
Remus Cernea
Remus Cernea is a Romanian activist against discrimination based on faith and religion, an advocate of the separation of church and state and the founder of the Solidarity for Freedom of Conscience Association....
, taking part, along with other high-ranking members from the party.