Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Moldova may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, it has become increasingly under the influence of the Orthodox Christian church, also, it has been marred by human rights violations against the freedom of association for homosexuals to have Gay Pride demonstrations.
Former laws against homosexuality
Since 1995, homosexuality between consenting adults in private has been legal in Moldova. In September 2002 new laws were introduced equalising the age of consent.
Recognition of same-sex relationships
No recognition with respect to same-sex marriage or civil unions is currently legal. Constitution banned same-sex marriage.
Discrimination protections
As of February 2008, a large coalition of human rights organisations, including Information Centre GenderDoc-M, are lobbying the government for implementation of anti-discrimination legislation in line with European standards, which would include sexual orientation as one of protected grounds.
Living conditions
Moldova has a rather small but lively and open-minded gay scene. Chisinau's first gay club – Jaguar Dance and Music Club – opened in 2009. Moldova’s first Gay Pride was held in April 2002, but it was banned in 2007, because homosexuality is said to be undermining the Christian values of the country.
The main gay and lesbian campaigning group is called GenderDoc-M, which seeks to support gays and lesbians within Moldova. However, Moldovan society still remains very homophobic. For example, virulent homophobic statements are casually made by politicians and lesbians and gays are routinely discriminated against. Violence towards the lesbian and gay community is not unknown. Scott Lively, a vociferous opponent of gay rights who has linked homosexuality to having played a part in the spawning of the Rwandan Genocide and the Holocaust, visited Moldova in 2010 to oppose an anti-discrimination measure. The bill had passed through committee twice before stalling subsequent to opposition from the Communist Party of Moldova, which cited Lively's visit as a reason for its opposition.
2008 Moldova Pride controversy
On 11 May 2008 the police and authorities stood by as the Moldova Pride Parade was prevented by homophobic crowds who surrounded and intimidated Parade participants by surrounding the Pride bus. The Mayor of Chisinau, Dorin Chirtoaca, whose campaign slogan was "a young mayor, a liberal team, a european capital" had banned the parade the evening before.
Bączkowski and Others v. Poland (3 May 2007) was the case in which the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg ruled that by banning the Pride the then Mayor of Warsaw, Lech Kaczyński had broken three articles of the European Convention of Human Rights: article 11: the freedom of assembly, article 13 the right to appeal and, by allowing others to assemble when Lesbian & Gay people were not were also in breach of article 14, which outlaws discrimination. Moldova has been a member of the Council of Europe since 13 July 1995, and so there can be no question that this ruling is legally binding in Moldova.
UN Human Rights Council Resolution
In June, 2011, Moldova used its seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council to vote against the first successful UN resolution condemning discrimination and violence against individuals based on their sexual oriention and gender identity.
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