Romania: From blackmail to a legal taboo
“It was very hard, because certainly the law was against it. You could do prison time…they were blackmailing them to become an informer to escape prison.” Daniel, from ACT-Q, told W3JOY about the hardship of being LGBT during the Chauchescu Era.
What was the result? “Mainly LGBT people during the Chauchescu Era acted as straight people.”
Although the legal situation has improved dramatically over the last decade, there are not many protections for LGBT Romanians:
“We have anti-discrimination laws. In television, or even in reality, gay things are still taboo in Romania. Maybe it’s because of the communism era, maybe religious mentalities, people are still afraid of LGBT people.”
“I’m sure that we have some LGBT people a politicians, but no one is openly gay or lesbian. They are afraid of coming out because they are afraid that people will not vote for them. It’s hard to talk about LGBT history in Romania because in Romania, gay people were convicted by law until 2001. So until then, LGBT people and everything was underground…most of the LGBT people are still afraid to be out in public.”
But ACT-Q is working to establish an LGBTQ centre. “We think that an LGBT centre will help us to become known to the ‘regular’ people…they will accept us more if they know our real problems.”
Read more on W3JOY’s Romania webpage.
RECENT PODCAST
World Wide Wrap: LGBTQIA+ news for the week – April 30th, 2024
Listen to the week’s World Wide Wrap where we round up all that was in international LGBTQIA+ news for the ...
LISTEN TO PODCAST NOW
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:05 — 9.7MB)
Subscribe or Follow Us: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | Stitcher | Blubrry | Podchaser | Email | Deezer | RSS
We speak to Elias Jahshan, author of the book, This Arab is Queer
With Eurovison, one thing is for certain, every year there will be controversy to some degree. This year the argument ...
LISTEN TO PODCAST NOW
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:27 — 45.9MB)
Subscribe or Follow Us: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | Stitcher | Blubrry | Podchaser | Email | Deezer | RSS
World Wide Wrap: LGBTQIA+ news for the week – April 23, 2024
Listen to the week’s World Wide Wrap where we round up all that was in international LGBTQIA+ news for the ...
LISTEN TO PODCAST NOW
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:25 — 7.5MB)
Subscribe or Follow Us: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | Stitcher | Blubrry | Podchaser | Email | Deezer | RSS