The path has been difficult and steep; it has always been full of suffering and anguish, of desperation and grief. Lives destroyed, ruined stories of love, broken hearts and silenced words, forgotten emotions, beaten hopes. Homosexuality has never been an option for many men and women who saw their lives slowly disappear in a violent storm of social discredit whose end they would never know.

For centuries, homosexuals found no other company than sadness and despair. Darkness was their sole confidant; silence, their only way to express love and affection. Fortunately, societies have evolved and times have changed; unfortunately, social acceptation is not a reality for every gay or lesbian on earth at all. Homosexuality still constitutes a stigma for many people who cannot find a place to love normally.

Not so many years ago, homosexuals were fiercely discriminated, ill-treated, frequently imprisoned and even sentenced to death, and they still are. Many people have wanted to see in Europe a tolerant redoubt, where everyone has the right to love and be loved regardless of any other social or political consideration. However, reality is different. Religions and conservative politicians have condemned gays and lesbians for their sexuality and they still do it. The Catholic Church has earned a bloody fame through history in aggressively fighting against homosexuality and today it not only shows absolutely no respect towards it, but it also strongly attacks it. Of course, the Catholic institution is not alone in its obsessive struggle; on the contrary, the political and social basis in which it lays is deep-rooted and difficult to destabilize. Right-wing parties and conservative organizations disguise their positions with empty rhetoric and forced indifference, always waiting for the pettiest occasion to show their claw and swoop towards their prey.

EU AGAINST LITHUANIAN “GAY HATE LAW”

Less than two months ago, on September 17th, the European Parliament decided to face the Lithuanian Parliament and the polemic “gay hate law” that it had approved, by means of a resolution severely condemning that law. With the prerogative of protecting children, Lithuania passed a bill prohibiting to refer to homosexuality in schools and public places, open gay locals and even organize gay rights demonstrations so as to avoid the normalization of homosexuality. With this law, which has been intensely criticised by many European progressive politicians, political parties and human rights organizations, fines and arrests against those “promoting” homosexuality were to become a reality. The European Parliament resolution was approved with the votes in favour of 349 European deputies, 218 against and 46 abstentions. Many deputies of the conservative European People’s Party, apart mainly from its French and Maltese members, the very few extreme right European deputies and the Irish liberals decided not to protect gay and lesbian rights and voted against the resolution.

Many European politicians and every human rights organization congratulated the European Parliament for its successful resolution. UK Green MEP Jean Lambert affirmed that “the European Parliament has sent a clear message to the Lithuanian government that homophobia has no place in the European Union - not in its society and certainly not enshrined in any of its legislation”. On this occasion, Europe has been capable of resolutely showing many conservatives that homophobia and criminalization of minorities has no place to be in the European Union anymore. However, the world does not end in its borders and there is also much work to do beyond them.

DECRIMINALIZATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY?

The voting of a resolution seeking to put an end to criminalization of homosexuality in the General Assembly of the United Nations last December showed a devastating international scenario. With a regrettable result of 66 countries in favour, out of the 192 countries present in the UN, the world failed to stop condemning people for their emotions and feelings. From Argentina to Albania, from Australia to Bolivia, from Israel to Venezuela, from Cuba to Romania, 66 countries raised their voices in defence of homosexuals’ rights to live with dignity. However, many other countries, lead by Syria, strongly condemned this unsuccessful resolution.

In most countries all over the world, being homosexual may lead to imprisonment, harassment and even death. Nowadays, gays and lesbians are still sentenced to death in five countries: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Yemen and Sudan, together with the northern regions of Nigeria and Somalia. Furthermore, another 72 countries criminalize homosexuality and many other autonomous regions and states share the same values of intolerance. On the other hand, Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Colombia, Uruguay and the South African Republic are the most progressive and tolerant countries towards homosexuals.

Intolerance is still present at many levels around the world, but it will find no peace until it completely disappears. Wherever it appears, it will find the opposition of thousands of people willing to show it the way back. Because the greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return… Come what may. |