TIRANA, July 29 – The Albanian government has passed a law to legalize the same-sex marriage.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha said Wednesday at a cabinet meeting the law had been sent to parliament and “despite the debate that the law might spark, discrimination is unacceptable.“
Albanian family code allows only heterosexual marriages but not the same-sex marriages.
“The law aims at setting a right fully legalized in the European countries on legal and non-discriminating basis. It is sponsored by the civil society and no matter the kind of debate it will bring forth, discrimination is simply unacceptable“ said the premier at a cabinet meeting Wednesday.
It appears Albania will be only the fourth country in Europe and the first in the Balkans to recognize homosexual marriage. Nethelands, Norway, and Belgium are the other three countries to have already taken this step. Albania’s neighbour, Italy, faced a strong backlash from Vatican in a similar attempt to legalize gay marriage.
As expected, the Premier’s declarations caused an immediate backlash from Albania’s religious leaders. Albania is mostly Muslim with large Orthodox Christian and Roman Catholic minorities.
“This is a sham not a law,” said Selim Muca, head of Albania’s Muslim Community. “We are absolutely against it as a community,” declared Muca for Albanian newspaper Gazeta Shqiptare, adding that a relationship between two gay people could not be consecrated through marriage.
The Catholic Church was also quick to react through its spokeperson, Father Henry Weldcamp, who said that the church could only accept a marriage between a man and a woman.
“Marriage is holy in the eyes of God, and gays are not holy,” said don Henry.
In 1996, the Albanian Parliament approved a law that put and end to discrimination against homosexuality and its labeling as a crime.
However, gays and lesbians are still heavily stigmatized, and a majority live clandestine lives, fearing that if their sexual orientation is discovered their safety will be endangered.
They continue to be subjected to discrimination in all walks of life, including state institutions.
It is believed that the homosexual community in Tirana may be a few thousands, according to a human right non-governmental organization source.
