Weimar Triangle targets homophobia

By Marc Shoffman • May 12, 2006 - 0:00

The leader of the German Green Party, Claudia Roth, said: “Europe must react to anti-democratic changes in Poland just as it reacted when a populist Jorg Heider joined Austrian government“

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Gay groups, politicians and journalists from France, Germany and Poland have created a "Gay Weimar Triangle" to combat homophobia in Europe.

The organisation refers to a 1991 political agreement between the countries, it was set up after a meeting in Berlin, Germany last week.

The founding group's declaration stated, "We are joining our forces to build a civic society in Europe, a society in which we will be able to live free from discrimination.

"Hereby, we declare our mutual support in pursuing this goal. In the spirit of European Convention of Human Rights, we stand against hatred and violence as well as discrimination of social minorities.

"We express our support for all those who are in favour of applying the norms contained in the European Convention of Human Rights in Europe. We wish to oppose discrimination and alienation of homosexual persons in united Europe. We wish to act for observing gay and lesbian persons' human rights."

The leader of the German Green Party, Claudia Roth, said: "Europe must react to anti-democratic changes in Poland just as it reacted when a populist Jorg Heider joined Austrian government."

Piotr Gadzinowski, a Polish MP from the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) said: "In the very building we are now, many years ago, John F. Kennedy, president of the USA said the famous 'Ich bin ein Berliner.' Today I will say a similar thing and I think every European politician should say the same when a gay pride takes place in his country, Ich bin ein Schuler (I am a gay.)"

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