Written declaration No. 610 | Doc. 14104 | 23 June 2016

Freedom of expression and so-called “anti-gay propaganda laws”

Signatories: Mr Jonas GUNNARSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Boriana ÅBERG, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Tobias BILLSTRÖM, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET, Andorra, SOC ; Mr Piet De BRUYN, Belgium, NR ; Mr Paul FLYNN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Mr Frank J. JENSSEN, Norway, EPP/CD ; Ms Lotta JOHNSSON FORNARVE, Sweden, UEL ; Mr Niklas KARLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Florian KRONBICHLER, Italy, SOC ; Ms Kerstin LUNDGREN, Sweden, ALDE ; Mr Saša MAGAZINOVIĆ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, SOC ; Mr Johan NISSINEN, Sweden, NR ; Mr Rasmus NORDQVIST, Denmark, UEL ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Maria Edera SPADONI, Italy, NR ; Mr Manuel TORNARE, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Markus WIECHEL, Sweden, NR ; Ms Gisela WURM, Austria, SOC

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

In April 2016, a bill prohibiting “propaganda of homosexual relations to minors” was tabled in the Moldovan Parliament.

Similar bills have previously been presented in Moldova and in numerous Council of Europe member and partner States. Laws restricting the dissemination of information on issues of crucial importance to LGBTI people are already in force in the Russian Federation and Lithuania.

These laws have devastating effects. They both deny freedom of expression and deprive vulnerable, young LGBTI people of access to information and support that they desperately need.

Moreover, public debates surrounding such bills foment hate and create an environment in which balanced information is lost and LGBTI people face increasing discrimination.

We call for the immediate repeal of all existing such laws and the withdrawal of any such bills pending before parliaments at all levels.

We furthermore call on all political leaders to support the freedom of expression of LGBTI people, without discrimination, and systematically condemn all hate-motivated speech and offence targeting people on the grounds of their sexual orientation or gender identity.