One week after the violence against the gay marchers in Moscow and Romania's own gay parade was again, for the second year in a row, met with violence threats followed by hurled eggs, rock and bottles�
Is Romania ready to accept homosexuality?... "It's a long process," gasps Romanitza Iordache, president of the Gay Rights Association ACCEPT which had organized the event. "Only five yeas ago the government finally abolished article 200 which had criminalized homosexuality. But despite what happened during the event and then to the group of six young people severely beaten in the subway after leaving the parade we still have very positive signs from the general public that they do accept us."
Though some polls show as much as 40% of the people preferring homosexual to leave the country and not come back Romanitza prefers to look at the increasing 35 to 50% of the population who accept their right to parade and legalize same sex marriage.
But the strong anti-gay sentiment is not only felt in Romania, but most former communist nations. American Monica Collins commented during the march that she participated in the first two Gay Pride parades in Poland where it was more violent. "The police didn't protect us at all. Plus the rocks people threw down on us in Poland were bigger than here."
"It was not so violent last year," says Irena Nitsa of ACCEPT. "It was worse this year because earlier in the week we made a pledge to the government through the press to accept same sex marriages and this infuriated many people."
While Romania sets its hopes on joining the European Union next year ACCEPT organizer felt it was time to raise the issue and further push the ex-communist nation into line with EU standards.
A total of eleven European nations have allowed some form of same sex union begining with Denmark in 1989, the latest being Spain and Britian last year.
The violent mood was felt the week earlier as the Orthodox Church spoke out against the parade and with more aggressive rhetoric coming from the extremist movement The New Right and populist politicians and did not surprise Romanitza, "we expected it." Many of the demonstrators were affiliated with the church and came waiving crosses and icons. As some of the crowd hollered profanities marchers replied, "we love you!' while waiving flowers and blowing kisses. Minutes later a barrage of eggs and rocks began raining thrown down off the balconies of the adjacent apartment buildings.
“The police did a very good job of protecting us by forming a large space between us and the spectators and preventing any injuries of marchers,�? says Irena Nitsa.
As the estimated 500 gay -lesbian - transsexuals and friends marched onward large groups of frustrated young men, some clad with nazi emblems, tried breaking through the wall of police and getting to the participants but were soundly beaten back by riot police with their clubs, muzzled police dogs and tear gas. Ten injuries were reported and fifty arrests.
The outcome could have been far worse. Police reported that prior to the event they had confiscated some Molotov cocktails.
Florin Buhuceanu, managing director at ACCEPT praised the police and there efforts, "there would have been a bloodbath if not for the police because those groups were organized and trained to mount an offensive."
Even though the violence had put a shadow over the festive event it was still rated a "blast" by the participants. Though the message of equal rights and same sex civil unions that the parade organizers tried to promote was not altogether accepted - it was heard.
Ending on a happy note; immediately following the event Florin Buhuceanu and his partner celebrated the first ever, same-sex marriage on Romanian soil. The event was presided over by American Reverend Diane Fisher of the predominately gay Metropolitan Community Church. END