Conservative prime minister condemns allies who called for gays to be beaten
TIRANA, April 22 – Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Monday expressed his support of LGBT rights and gay marriage in a meeting with local gay activists in his office, the first ever meeting of its kind.
Though out of step with his core supporters, Berisha became the first Albanian premier to come out in support of same-sex marriage back in 2009.
“I have carefully followed all your actions and I think that you have, so far, responded in a very good way whenever that has been necessary,” he told the activists. “It is important to believe in thecause you represent. [Ɲ To tell you the truth, [in the beginning] I have felt sorry when the debate about LGBT issues was going on and no one from the community was able to go publicly and defend the cause. So, I really appreciate that you both have appeared on television and have brought the LGBT issues to public attention.”
Berisha also condemned a previous declaration of the Ekrem Spahiu, a deputy defence minister in his government who said gays should be beaten with sticks.
“This kind of declaration is unacceptable not only for a deputy minister but for everyone,” Berisha said, adding that every politicians should express their views on LGBT rights without fear.
The two activists asked the prime minister about the recently proposed amendments of the penal code, which include the criminalization of hate speech and intentional harassment towards LGBT people through digital technology. Berisha said he fully supports them.
Albania decriminalized homosexuality in 1995, and LGBT persons in Albania are protected under a comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation passed in February 2010 by the Parliament. The law banned discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation andgender identityin all areas, including employment, the provision of goods and services, education, health care, and housing.
Albania is one of few European countries to explicitly ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity.
Yet Albanian culture remains largely anti-gay. Albania is still considered the most homophobic European country; 53 percent of respondents in a March 2013 European Social Survey of 1200 Albanians said they are opposed to homosexuality. And politicians on both sides of the isle have made vicious comments about the community.
