Nearly Two Hundred People Join Gay Parade In Capital City Bucharest

A series of speeches delivered by ACCEPT representatives, Michael Cashman, member of the European Parliament, Diane Fisher, reverend Metropolitan Community Churches and Mats Åberg, Sweden’s ambassador to Bucharest, marked the beginning of this year’s gay parade, which targets to promote tolerance toward sexual minorities and homosexuality.

ACCEPT president, Florin Buhuceanu, referred in his speech to a letter he received from a 19-year old boy in the Republic of Moldova revealing he served prison time only because he is gay.

The gay parade was also attended by German and Swedish nationals who came to Bucharest to take part in the event.

Nearly 1,200 gendarmes and police officers ensured public order and offered protection to gay parade attendees.

Earlier Saturday, nearly one hundred members of far right organization “The New Right,” a neo-fascist group militating against homosexuality and ethnic and sexual minorities, rallied in anti-gay parade protests for nearly one and a half hour.

Several Romanian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on Friday criticized the authorities for giving green light to the GayFest pride parade.

The Association of Christian Journalists and Editors, or AZEC, as well as Provita Association, Christian Association, the Alliance of Romanian Families and the Group of Reflection for Family Protection warned about the “dangers of homosexuality.”