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European International Lesbian & Gay Association Meets

Romania's Government Affords Protection to Participants

Diplomats from U.S., Denmark, Finland & Sweden Speak

U.S. Ambassador Jim Rosapepe

By Rex Wockner
International News Reports

Bucharest, Romania--About 100 people showed up for the 22nd European regional conference of the International Lesbian and Gay Association October 4 to 8 in Bucharest, Romania, including members of the Dutch and European parliaments.

The conference coincided with ongoing governmental efforts to repeal anti-gay Article 200 of the Romanian penal code -- a requirement imposed on Romania by the European Union as a pre- condition of membership.

Article 200 states:

"Same-sex relations taking place in public or resulting in a public scandal shall be punished by one to five years imprisonment. Enticing or seducing a person to practice same-sex relations as well as propaganda, association or other forms of proselytizing with the same aim shall be punished by one to five years imprisonment."

The conference, which was addressed by U.S. Ambassador Jim Rosapepe and representatives of the embassies of Denmark, Finland and Sweden, was big news in the Romania media. It also attracted a police presence to protect delegates from anti-gay protesters, who turned out to be few in number.

Local gay leader Adrian Coman of the group ACCEPT told the Washington Blade: "This opposition is not strong. There is no public support [for it]. In general, Romanians are not very sympathetic to [Article 200]."

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ILGA's next European gathering will be in the Netherlands. The group's next world conference is in Oakland, Calif., in August of 2001.