Magazine / Society / Homophobia / From the press | 16/08/2007

Equality and Discrimination

European newspapers document the situation in different countries, report on discrimination and discuss same-sex partnerships. They demonstrate how the discussion about gay and lesbian rights is often tied up with current politics and the general mood in the country in question.

euro|topics-Dossiers on discrimination and equal rights

Main focus of Monday, 12. June 2006

Poland and its minorities

Thousands of people gathered in Warsaw this weekend to demonstrate against gay discrimination and for equal rights. The conservative government spoke out clearly against the ... » more

Main focus of Thursday, 22. December 2005

Homosexual unions stir debate

The marriage on Wednesday, December 21 of English pop icon Elton John kicked off the first homosexual unions in England and Wales. The event prompted ... » more

Violence and counterdemonstrations

Magyar Narancs - Hungary | Friday, 13. July 2007

Gábor Szetey on homophobia in Hungary

Hungarian Secretary of State Gábor Szetey has become the first Hungarian politician to publicly announce his homosexuality - in a speech delivered at the Gay ... » more

Népszabadság - Hungary | Monday, 9. July 2007

Right-wing extremist violence against homosexuals

This year's homosexual 'Gay Pride' parade had a bloody ending: members of the right-wing extremist 'Jobbik' party attacked peaceful demonstrators, some of whom were so ... » more

Evenimentul Zilei - Romania | Monday, 11. June 2007

The gay parade in homophobic Romania

Although the ban on homosexuality in Romania was lifted in 2001, it's still a taboo subject. During a gay parade which took place last Saturday ... » more

Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland | Friday, 9. June 2006

Gay parade in Warsaw

A large-scale demonstration for equal rights for gays is scheduled for June 10 in Warsaw. The demonstration is directed against homophobic tendencies within the Polish ... » more

Postimees - Estonia | Wednesday, 18. July 2007

Row over gay parade in Tallinn

The administration of the Estonian capital Tallinn has banned this year's Christopher Street Day march through the old part of the city. A few MEPs ... » more

Diena - Latvia | Monday, 4. June 2007

Latvian politicians discriminate against homosexuals

The Christopher Street Day gay pride parade is a source of deep controversy in Latvia, where the celebrations have repeatedly been the target of homophobic ... » more

La Repubblica - Italy | Sunday, 13. May 2007

Italian catholics rally to defend family values

Several hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in Rome on Saturday, May 12th, a day baptised with an English name, 'Family Day', by catholic organisations. ... » more

Homophobia and right-wing populism

De Morgen - Belgium | Wednesday, 9. August 2006

The extremes of the Polish right

"Catholicism is no longer a religion in Poland today but an ideology," state the worried academics Tomek Kitlinski and Stephane Symons in the progressive daily. ... » more

Népszabadság - Hungary | Monday, 10. July 2006

Gaspa M. Tamas on right-wing populism in central and eastern Europe

According to Hungarian philosopher Gaspar M. Tamas, the rise of right-wing populism in Poland and Slovakia is a reaction to neo-conservative and neo-liberal policies. He ... » more

Večer - Slovenia | Tuesday, 14. March 2006

Tonci Kuzmanic on racism in post-socialist societies

Slovenian sociologist Tonci Kuzmanic warns in an interview with Sasa Malek about the dangers of verbal racism, or "hate speech", which according to him is ... » more

De Volkskrant - Netherlands | Tuesday, 15. August 2006

Democracy in the doldrums in Eastern Europe

"Developments in Eastern Europe are disappointing because the resistance of existing systems in place has been underestimated," Thomas von der Dunk writes in a piece ... » more

Discrimination in everyday life

NRC Handelsblad - Netherlands | Wednesday, 7. June 2006

Dutch ambassador to Tallinn denounces rampant homophobia

"Hans Glaubitz, the Dutch ambassador to Estonia, has quit his post prematurely because his partner, a black Cuban, could no longer put up with the ... » more

Delfi - Lithuania | Friday, 25. May 2007

Capital of Culture Vilnius: xenophobic and homophobic?

Vilnius will be European Capital of Culture in 2009. Andrius Bielskis sees this is a cause for celebration for all Lithuanians and in particular the ... » more

Equal rights and the discussion about gay marriage

The Observer - United Kingdom | Tuesday, 29. August 2006

Manchester United adopts gay-friendly policy

Social affairs correspondent Denis Campbell reports on a new 'gay-friendly' policy in the English football. "Manchester City have decided to challenge football's taboo by becoming ... » more

Lidové noviny - Czech Republic | Thursday, 16. March 2006

Gay marriage

On March 15, the Czech parliament overrode President Vaclav Klaus' veto against the new law for the legal registration of same-sex marriages by a slim ... » more

Polityka - Poland | Wednesday, 22. February 2006

Discussion on same-sex marriages

Vaclav Klaus and Lech Kaczynski, the presidents of the Czech Republic and Poland respectively, both stressed that they have imposed strict bans on registered partnerships ... » more

La Repubblica - Italy | Friday, 8. December 2006

Italy accepts to legislate on civil partnerships

The editorialist Miriam Mafai is delighted by the Italian government's decision to propose a law on civil partnerships that would stretch to include homosexuals. "This ... » more

The EU's anti-discrimination policy

Wprost Online - Poland | Thursday, 15. June 2006

EU resolution against racism and homophobia

On June 15, the European Parliament will vote on a proposal for a resolution against racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic violence within the EU. The proposal ... » more

Culture and homosexuality

Hospodářské noviny - Czech Republic | Thursday, 31. May 2007

Poland concerned about gay Teletubbies

"The popular Teletubbies are being screened for homosexuality. In order to avoid raising suspicion of corruption the Prime Minister doesn't have a personal bank account. ... » more

Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland | Friday, 22. September 2006

Michal Witkowski's book

Polish novelist Michal Witkowski has reached the final of Poland's 2006 Nike literary competition. Talking to Sebastian Lupak he describes how critics have reacted to ... » more

Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland | Monday, 19. December 2005

Gay-Lesbian Literature

In the paper's weekend supplement, Kinga Dunin, a literary critic and Poland's leading feminist, describes how the situation of homosexuals had changed in Poland. She ... » more

Berliner Zeitung - Germany | Monday, 10. April 2006

Memorial for the persecuted homosexuals

Nikolaus Bernau presents artists Michael Almgreen and Ingar Dragset's winning design for a Berlin memorial to the homosexuals persecuted under the Nazis. "A light cement ... » more

The Church and homosexuality

La Repubblica - Italy | Wednesday, 14. March 2007

Pope Benedict XVI is opposed to laws "contrary to human nature"

In the text Sacramentum Caritatis, an apostolic exhortation published on March 13th, Pope Benedict XVI urges Catholics to refuse laws that are "contrary to human ... » more

The Times - United Kingdom | Tuesday, 20. June 2006

Fears of a schism in Anglican Church

The right-leaning daily fears a possible schism in the Anglican Church after the U.S. branch of the communion elected as its leader a woman who ... » more