Η ΟΜΟΦΥΛΟΦΟΒΙΑ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΓΔΜ

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FYRoM's lack of tolerance
BRANKO GORGEVSKI, SVETLANA JOVANOVSKA AND SLOBODANKA JOVANOVSKA
euobserver.com, 01.02.2010
Mirko and Petar are homosexuals who would like to go out hand-in-hand. In Skopje this is not possible. They are regularly kicked out from coffee shops because of "disrespectful behaviour."
"What is disrespectful? That I want to take the hand of Petar?" asks Mirko, who is considering immigrating to EU countries where he would not have to hide his homosexuality. "In FYRoM," he says, "people think I am sick."
Some 85 percent of the habitants do not want homosexuals in their neighbourhood – they express the same reservations about them as they do about alcoholics.
Roma or victims of domestic violence are personae non gratae for 58 percent of citizens. And more than 30 percent of FYRoM citizens do not want unmarried couples, believers in another religion or members of another ethnic group near them.
If they were to have the choice between a woman, a disabled person, a gay or an ethnic Albanian for the highest state office, a gay person would be the last that they would trust and want as a leader. In the country which had an ethnic war just eight years ago, 80 percent of Macedonians said that they have Albanian friends, but just six percent of them would like to be in the company of gays or lesbians, the first ever Eurobarometer opinion poll on discrimination in FYRoM shows.
Against this background, Brussels is insisting on a law against discrimination in FYRoM, which is an official EU member candidate. This is not exactly a part of the set of requirements for EU entry - known as the Copenhagen criteria - but is considered an essential part of the human rights protection arsenal.
After two years of hesitation, the government last week proposed a draft law, which immediately provoked angry reactions from human rights activists.
The draft does not mention sexual discrimination as a basis for discrimination. Slavco Dimitrov from the NGO for the protection of marginalized people says this is "scandalous" arguing that "every step of the government is making homophobia flourish."
Sources form the governing right wing VMRO-DPMNE say that this would open the door to further rights demands, like the legalisation of same-sex marriages and adoptions, which is contrary to the values the conservatives defend.
Human rights activist Kocho Andonovski thinks that it is time for the state to show more interest in the lives of its discrimination-prone citizens and minorities. "Are we FYRoM citizens - or sick parts of the body which should be treated or cut off? Those responsible for the 'national body' should answer this question."
"Discrimination exists in other countries as well. But at the same time, they have mechanisms for protection of their citizens," says Mr Andonovski, one of the few gays who openly declare their sexual orientation. He adds that in FYRoM an anti-discrimination law would be such an instrument.
Homophobia is present in all Balkan countries, including Greece. For instance, homosexuals can advance to high positions only if nobody knows their sexual orientation. The Balkan political elite routinely uses allegations of homosexuality as a means to discredit rivals and opponents. To be seen as corrupt or incompetent is still quite acceptable, however.
The EU firmly insisted on a law when it issued the roadmap Balkan countries had to follow to get visa liberalisation. FYRoM was granted visa free travel for its citizens - but the law is still not reality.
However, Brussels has not forgotten about it and keeps asking for legislation that could help reduce discrimination and enhance protection of minority groups. Otherwise, Mirko and Petar could decide to make use of visa free travel and leave their intolerant country.