NEWS FLASH
European Parliament Urges Candidate Countries To Better Protect LGBT Community | Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo are all candidates to join the European Union, but first, the European Parliament has recommended they do more to tackle anti-LGBT discrimination. Turkey should add homophobia and transphobia to its hate crime laws and stop classifying homosexuality as a “psychosexual illness” in its military. Serbia needs to do more to protect participants in Pride celebrations and condemn discriminatory remarks by politicians and Orthodox clergy. Kosovo should “implement a broad anti-discrimination strategy” that is inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity and Montenegro should continue its positive efforts to do the same. The candidacy commission will monitor developments for LGBT protections throughout 2012 to ensure the countries are capable of living up to the EU’s commitment to human rights.
