Campaigners applaud Moldova for overturning anti-gay propaganda law

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LGBT campaigners have welcomed the decision of Moldova to overturn its anti-gay propaganda law.

The ban made it illegal to promote “relationships other than those linked to marriage and the family” – in a similar way to Russia’s anti-gay laws.

Bur unlike in Russia, late last week Moldovan officials narrowly voted to overturn the policy.

Evelyne Paradis, executive director of campaign group ILGA-Europe said: “This is a very important and significant development. Moldovan parliamentarians made a right decision to abolish a law which is discriminatory and contradicts their country’s international human rights commitments and aspirations for European integration.

“We sincerely hope that the Moldovan development will become an example to a number of other European countries like Russia, Ukraine, Latvia and Lithuania where similar laws have been already adopted, proposed or being discussed.”

Moldova, who is looking to join the EU, came 46th among 49 European countries in terms of laws and policies affecting the human rights of LGBTI people in an ILGA survey earlier this year.