Conditioning EU accession with gay rights "not working"

BELGRADE The Gay Lesbian Info Center has made an appeal for an end to the practice of conditioning Serbia's entry into the EU "via the LGBT population". The gay rights group explained that they thought this approach was "not working". Conditioning EU accession with gay rights "not working" They believe that it in reality contributes to increased homophobia and animosity toward the LGBT population in Serbia. The center reacted to a statement made by EP's rapporteur for Serbia, Jelko Kacin, who said recently that "one of the key tests for Serbian institutions in the protection of human and minority rights" was to ensure the holding of a gay parade. But according to the Gay Lesbian Info Center "this further exposes the LGBT population to the citizens' negative emotions": "We believe that it is inappropriate that the LGBT population in Serbia is further exposed to the negative emotions of the citizens of Serbia, which is precisely what Kacin's statements do." The group added that "because of such statements, LGBT persons are marked as being guilty for Serbia not joining the EU." "We demand from Kacin and other EU officials to, in the future, reflect before making statements about the consequences that these statements have - if the EU does not help in improving the situation of the LGBT people in Serbia, it would be nice if they did not aggravate it." (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

Conditioning EU accession with gay rights "not working"

They believe that it in reality contributes to increased homophobia and animosity toward the LGBT population in Serbia.

The center reacted to a statement made by EP's rapporteur for Serbia, Jelko Kacin, who said recently that "one of the key tests for Serbian institutions in the protection of human and minority rights" was to ensure the holding of a gay parade.

But according to the Gay Lesbian Info Center "this further exposes the LGBT population to the citizens' negative emotions":

"We believe that it is inappropriate that the LGBT population in Serbia is further exposed to the negative emotions of the citizens of Serbia, which is precisely what Kacin's statements do."

The group added that "because of such statements, LGBT persons are marked as being guilty for Serbia not joining the EU."

"We demand from Kacin and other EU officials to, in the future, reflect before making statements about the consequences that these statements have - if the EU does not help in improving the situation of the LGBT people in Serbia, it would be nice if they did not aggravate it."