Gay Cyprus News & Reports

Nicosia, Greek Cyprus – Greek Orthodox leaders issued a call for unity in the Cyprus church on Friday after clearing a senior bishop of homosexual charges in a scandal which has caused deep divisions in the establishment. Church leaders wrapped up a three-day session on Friday after earlier clearing beleaguered Bishop Athanassios of Limassol of charges of conducting homosexual relationships. But the scandal, which has caused deep rifts in one of the richest churches in the Orthodox world, seemed unlikely to fade away quickly. Critics dismissed the verdict as a whitewash.

The session, known as the Major Holy Synod, is only the second to have taken place in the 2,000-year history of the Church of Cyprus, an independent branch of the Eastern Orthodox communion which was founded by Barnabas, one of Christ’s first companions. Homosexuality is a cardinal sin in its ranks; the Church fought a bitter battle against the government three years ago when it was legalised.

"The Major Holy Synod wants to convey a message of peace and unity to the Church of Cyprus and its people," said Petros, the Patriarch of Alexandria who chaired the deliberations. That unity however appeared distant, with detractors of the Limassol bishop, including clerics, crying foul.

"This is a black day in the history of the church, which has endorsed homosexuality," cleric Andreas Constantinides, one of the bishop’s most vocal critics, told Cyprus Radio. He too has landed in trouble with the church, having been suspended on charges of fathering two illegitimate children with a devout church-goer. He denies the claim.

Athanassios, a relatively young bishop who has a large and enthusiastic following particularly among young people, denies claims he ever had homosexual relationships. His lawyers maintain that he was the victim of detractors who feel threatened by his popularity. Athanassios is widely seen as a favourite to become the next Archbishop of Cyprus when the incumbent, Archbishop Chrysostomos, dies.

The Church of Cyprus is one of the richest in the region, with business interests ranging from real estate to heavy industry. The bishops’ decision caused jubilation in the coastal city of Limassol, a sprawling port town where Athanassios was elected in a landslide vote two years ago. Church bells pealed in celebration overnight and the bishop was welcomed by cheering crowds who showered him with rose petals. The church had dismissed allegations by three laymen that they had relationships with Athanassios. Church sources said one of them, who admitted to having regular affairs with clerics, was asked to pick out Athanassios from a group of 25 bearded and black-robed priests. He picked out somebody else, the sources said.

November 14, 2000 – Reuters

2
Orthodox bishops meet in Cyprus to discuss gay row

Nicosia, Greek Cyprus – More than 15 Greek Orthodox bishops and two patriarchs met in an emergency session in Cyprus on Tuesday to discuss allegations of homosexuality that threaten to divide the island’s church. Church leaders were to discuss charges that a senior Cypriot bishop has had homosexual affairs, and to consider whether, as his supporters maintain, he is a victim of a conspiracy by rival clerics, the bishop’s lawyer told Reuters. Supporters of Athanassios, bishop of the city port of Limassol, say he is the victim of a plot to prevent him becoming Archbishop when the present incumbent dies. A former monk of the straitlaced all-male commune of Mount Athos in Greece, Athanassios has strongly denied the allegations and insists he is not gay. Supporters say the soft-spoken monk, who has a large following among young people, is viewed as a threat by the more established and worldly bishops Cyprus is accustomed to.

"This pits the old guard of bishops associated more with business against bishops like Athanassios, who is bringing the church closer to the people," said his lawyer, Christos Clerides. The church is one of the most affluent institutions on the island with interests ranging from property to heavy industry. The dispute has developed into a power struggle between local bishops, who have been taking swipes at one another through the local media for months, and clerics who have launched a so-called crusade to rid the church of gay bishops.

Bishops from the church of Greece, and the Orthodox apostolic seats of Jerusalem, Alexandria and Antioch, based in Damascus, were meeting in the congregation, known as the Major Holy Synod. The black robed and bearded clerics did not make any comment to journalists as they climbed the steps of the palatial archbishopric in the capital Nicosia with an armed police escort.

It is the second gathering of the church hierarchy since it was established in 45 AD. The last session was in 1973, when a group of bishops were defrocked for mounting a challenge to the late Archbishop Makarios. Cyprus legalised homosexuality three years ago in a move strongly coindemned by the church. The island remains deeply conservative, and gays tend to remain firmly in the closet.

June 10, 2000 – Cyprus Mail

3
Gay rights activist Welcomes Amendment to Homosexuality Law

by Jean Christou
Gay rights activist Alecos Modinos yesterday welcomed parliament’s amendment of offensive terms in the law legalising homosexuality, but criticised the delay in changing the two-year-old legislation. When the law decriminalising homosexuality between consenting adults was passed in May 1998, after a five-year battle, deputies left in a reference to "unnatural licentiousness", which the gay community objected to. It has taken the House another two years to amend the offending term, which they replaced with the phrase "intercourse between men" at Thursday’s plenum.

Many deputies left the floor during the vote, because of the controversial nature of the homosexual issue. Archbishop Chrysostomos said yesterday he had not been aware of the change, but said he regretted the House had taken this turn. Modinos, an architect, said yesterday what counted was that the EU would not accept the law because it was full of discriminatory terms. "It did not put the homosexual person on an equal footing with the heterosexual. I hope that with this amendment homosexuals will be dealt with as equals and as first class citizens like the rest of the population, and that only the criminals will be punished, whether they are homosexuals or heterosexuals," Modinos said.

"I think it‚ is a shame for Cyprus to be tarnished because a team of deputies did not sit for five years from 1993 to 1998 to study and understand what it’s all about and still talk today about ‚unnatural licentiousness‚" which is a negative term and stops the integration of homosexuals into society." But one of the two deputies who remained at the plenum to vote against the change said yesterday he believed there were more important issues. Disy party deputy Evangelos Sammoutas said Europe could not turn a blind eye to Turkey’s human rights record and at the same time insist that Cyprus change its law on homosexuality. "It’s not such an important thing," he said. "Two years ago, we were asked to vote on the law which we argued about. We used words that are Greek and now we’re asked to change that to intercourse. We know the meaning of the second word but we also we know the meeting of the first."

The law, which outlawed homosexuality between consenting male adults, was only amended in 1998 after five years of stalling and several ultimatums from the Council of Europe in the wake of the successful case to the European Court of Human Rights brought by Modinos against Cyprus.

5 July 2002 – Cyprus Mail, Nicosia, Cyprus

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House moves to lower age of consent for gay men (Greek Cyprus)

by George Psyllides
The House is expected next week to discuss the reduction in the age of consent of homosexual males from 18 down to 16 in line with European Union human rights provisions. Chairman of the House Legal Affairs Committee Panayiotis Demetriou requested that the plenum discuss and vote for the issue during yesterday’s plenary session but House President Demetris Christofias told him it would be discussed next Thursday. The sudden urgency of the matter is certainly linked to the island’s European accession course as the EU has clearly stressed that it would not tolerate inequalities between the treatment of homosexuals and heterosexuals. Cyprus only decriminalised homosexuality in 1998, five years after gay activist Alecos Modinos won his battle at the European Court of Human Rights, and is now coming under pressure on issues such as age of consent and even gay partnerships rights. But judging from the way the age of consent was treated among deputies yesterday, it is certain that such would only be passed just to be in line with the EU and not on human rights premises.

Discussions on the matter gave the impression that this was something Cyprus was obliged to do and nothing else. "What is expected from the House is to act and comply with Europe’s recommendation," Demetriou said. The proposed amendment, which was discussed behind closed doors earlier yesterday, provides that the age of consent for homosexual males to be reduced to 16, from the current 18, in line with legislation concerning heterosexuals. It should be noted that the age of consent for homosexual females is already 16. "There is a one-way road called EU accession course; travelling down this road cannot be reversed or blocked by details, with all due respect to the existing sensitivities over this matter," Demetriou said. Asked whether the Church had tabled its position before the committee, Demetriou said: "This state is obliged to comply with legislation in force in the EU, towards which clerics and laymen say we are heading."

It would be doubtful if the Church, an ardent opponent of homosexuality, would react to reducing the age of consent, but after the legalisation of homosexuality four years ago it is certain that the all-mighty Church would fiercely react to further ‘concessions’ such as gay marriages. The gay Euro lobby has identified eight human rights issues that should concern member states and candidate countries, including unequal legislation, gay marriages, adoption and the rights of discrimination, so homosexuals can enjoy the same rights as heterosexuals. But when the matter had been mooted last year, Archbishop Chrysostomos had vowed to fight any moves by Europe, which would allow gay marriage, characterising homosexuals as depraved sinners and calling on the women of Cyprus to revolt against them.

July 6, 2002 – Cyprus Mail,Nicosia, Cyprus

6
Gays ruling ‘too little, too late’ (Greek Cyprus)

by George Psyllides
Gay activist Alecos Modinos yesterday censured the House for the way it treated the matter of reducing the age of consent of homosexual males from 18 to 16 in line with European Union human rights provisions. The House on Thursday decided to discuss the issue next week despite an attempt from House Legal Affairs Committee Chairman Panayiotis Demetriou to convince the plenum to treat the matters as urgent and vote on it immediately. The sudden urgency of the matter is certainly linked to the island’s European accession course as the EU has clearly stressed that it would not tolerate inequalities between the treatment of homosexuals and heterosexuals.

Cyprus only decriminalised homosexuality in 1998, five years after Modinos won his battle at the European Court of Human Rights, and is now coming under pressure on issues such as age of consent and even gay partnership rights. But despite the ‘favourable’ development, Modinos said it was "sad that the Legal Affairs Committee brought the issue up for the third time and all politicians insist that it is an obligation when they should have stressed that legislation should be changed because sexual orientation is a human right".

He added: "I believe it’s not a good step at all considering that no politician has dared to say that it is a human right and should be respected as such with actions and not words." Modinos said that Cyprus should have modernised its legislation since 1993 when it was condemned by the European Court of Human Rights for violating his rights and not bring up the issue all of a sudden and try to pass it. "This is the third time and they have no right to ridicule Cyprus like that," Modinos said. Gay activists want to be treated equally and have the same rights as heterosexual people though judging from the government’s and the legislature’s track-record it would be a long and uphill struggle.

Even after passing the law decriminalising homosexuality the parliament managed to further insult gays by leaving in a reference to "unnatural licentiousness", which the gay community strongly objected to. It took two years for the House to change the offending phrase to "intercourse between men".

May 6, 2006 – The Irish Examiner

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80% of Greek Cypriots think homosexuality is wrong

A strong 80% of Greek Cypriots think homosexual relationships are wrong, and more than half feel uncomfortable around gay people, a state-commissioned survey has found. The survey, made public today, revealed that same sex relations were mostly opposed by elderly people living in rural areas. Almost eight in 10 of those surveyed said they disagreed with gay couples adopting or raising children, and 76% opposed gay marriages in Cyprus.

Homosexuality was a crime in Greek Cyprus until 1998, when it was decriminalised after a gay activist won his battle at the European Court of Human Rights, which condemned Cyprus over its poor treatment of homosexuals. The survey interviewed 500 adults January 5-22 on behalf of the Ombudsman’s office and was conducted across the Republic of Cyprus by the Cyprus College research centre.

25 October 2006 – PinkNews

8
Gay community invited to north of Cyprus to buy or rent estates

Amid reports that the Turkish occupied region of Cyprus will legalise homosexuality, property experts are predicting there has never been a better time to visit for homebuyers and holidaymakers. The region, only recognised as a state by Turkey, is known for its hot balmy summers, mild winters and natural unspoiled landscapes, leading Hillcrest Estates, the area’s only estate agency, to recommend it as a top destination.

Hillcrest agents highlight the restaurants, attractive beaches and modest prices plus an 18-hole golf course as ideal factors making it a top destination. Apartments for sale start from £22,500 freehold. Vasilia Views, a complex currently being completed will comprise of 108 luxury apartments. Since a referendum in 2004 when the Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the UN Annan plan to reunify the island after it came under Turkish rule in the 1974 Cyprus War, the north has enjoyed a boom in construction and modernisation after years of being overlooked in comparison with its Mediterranean neighbours.

The laws along with infrastructure are also coming under the scrutiny of a government eager move in line with EU standards.
Consequently it has been announced that the law prohibiting homosexuality is to be repealed. It has been little used and the last prosecution was many years ago. The law dates back to British law in 1960, which was obviously changed in the UK in 1967 with the decriminalisation of homosexuality, but in Cyprus it remained on the statute book. Most Turkish Cypriots accept the EU position that choice of sexuality is a basic human right.

May, 2008 – cyprus-mail.com

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‘Cyprus will have to recognise gay marriage rights’

by Jean Christou
Sooner or later Cyprus, as an EU member state, will at least have to recognise same-sex marriages and civil partnerships, gay rights activist Alecos Modinos said yesterday. Modinos, who spent years fighting for homosexuality to be decriminalised in Cyprus, was commenting on a new report by Ombudswoman Iliana Nicolaou, which highlighted discrimination against same-sex partners. Nicolaou’s report concerned a British national, whose legal partner, a third country national, was refused residency by immigration officials. In the UK, the two men secured a Civil Partnership Registration, a status which is akin to a same-sex marriage without the title ‘married’. Only three EU member states, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain, have ‘gay marriage’, where the rights of a homosexual partner do not differ in any way from opposite-sex marriages. Modinos welcomed Nicolaou’s conclusions, calling it a “very wise opinion”.

The Ombudswoman said that in the 21st century, many types of family existed and this should be recognised in Cyprus. The British man’s partner did not ask for residency based on their civil union but in accordance with the EU directive on freedom of movement of EU nationals and their families. He was refused on the grounds that Cyprus did not recognise same-sex marriages or civil partnerships. There is currently no EU legislation concerning the mutual recognition of marriages or registered partnerships However, with a view to maintaining family unity in the broad sense of the term, Article 3 of the directive provides that the Member States must facilitate entry and residence for people who are included in the definition of ‘family members’. Under this requirement, the host Member State is obliged to carry out an in-depth examination of an individual’s personal situation and must state its reasons for any refusal of entry or residence concerning such persons. Under this article, the Member States must facilitate the right of residence of these partners, including spouses of a different sex, and must justify any refusal to grant entry or residence.

In practice, EU citizens who are married or in a partnership with a national of a third country, may rely on this facilitation requirement, subject to the application of the principle of non-discrimination Quoting from the European Court of Human Rights, Nicolaou’s report said it was recognised that family life was not limited only to relations based on traditional marriage but also included people who live together. There were also court decisions relating to discrimination against homosexuals, the report said. “The national legislation of Cyprus undermines the Community’s directive of freedom of movement and is not consistent with article 13 that provides for the abolishing of discrimination related to sexual orientation,’ she said.

“I fully agree with Mrs Nicolaou,” said Modinos. “Cyprus will sooner or later have to recognise same sex partnerships, and I don’t think they should wait until the EU forces them. They should be preparing for it already.” Modinos said if the British man was married to a female third-country national “there would not be a problem”. He also said very little had changed in Cyprus since homosexuality was decriminalised in the mid nineties. There was still no awareness of the problems being faced by homosexuals, he said. “Four years ago there was a law passed protecting my rights in the workplace,” said Modinos. “So far, not one complaint has been filed because if you complain, you will never find another job.”

Modinos said he personally knew eight Cypriot gay men who were involved with third-country nationals whose residence permits had expired. Four had applied for asylum, he said. One Iranian man’s asylum application had been turned down and he has gone into hiding rather than return to Iran where homosexuals can face the death penalty. “The Ministry of Interior is going to have to start thinking what we are going to do about all this,” said Modinos

May 2008 – cyprus-mail.com

10
Turkish Cypriot gays battle for respect

by Simon Bahceli
Turkish Cypriot gays will take to the streets of central Nicosia today to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and to raise awareness about homosexuality in general. “The World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from the list of mental and behavioral disorders on May 17, 1990, but attitudes and laws in this country, especially in the north, remain archaic,” one of the organisers of today’s “awareness campaign” told the Cyprus Mail. The group behind the campaign, which calls itself the Initiative Against Homophobia and boasts 20 “core members” and around 300 sympathisers, will be distributing a leaflet in Turkish, Greek and English outlining the significance of May 17. It also carries information on what it means to be gay, and how people come to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transsexual.

“The main message is that it is not an illness,” another of the organisers told the Mail, but added: “It’s also a serious legal issue, because as things stand what we do is forbidden by the law as being ‘unnatural’.” Indeed, the law on homosexuality in the north stems from colonial times and makes sex between two males punishable by up to five years in jail. There is no law prohibiting sexual relations between women however. Today’s campaign is by far the Initiative’s most public action to date in what is known to be a deeply conservative society. But it follows a move earlier this week when the group applied to register their Initiative as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) with the Turkish Cypriot authorities.

“This will cause a stir because by law they have to afford us the right to express our views, but at the same time homosexuality is illegal. So we don’t really know what they will decide to do. But one way or another it will lead us to the next step in our campaign to make homosexuality both legal and acceptable,” an organiser said. Although the current law on homosexuality is rarely invoked, the threat posed by its existence is keenly felt by gays in the north. “We know of a guy who was blackmailed by his gay lover who threatened to tell his wife and children about their relationship. When he went to the police to tell them about the blackmail he was arrested, sent for a medical to establish whether he had committed so-called unnatural and illegal acts. He was totally humiliated. He had gone to the police as the victim of a crime and was treated like a criminal. He has now left the country, despite the court case pending,” an organiser said.

And beyond the scrapping of the ancient law, gays in north Cyprus also want protection within society against persecution or prejudice. “We can be fired from jobs, abused in the military, denied access to privileges that others consider normal, all because we are gay, and we have no recourse to justice,” a member of the Initiative explained. Several of the members of the Initiative say they are active homosexuals who live with their partners. However, very few have actually “come out”.

“We can live together without getting much reaction from people in general. People just think we are friends. But how they would treat us if we actually told them we were gay is another matter. People don’t seem to mind as long as they aren’t confronted with it,” one of the campaigners said. Another says, “I’m sure my parents know I’m gay. We even joke about it, but no one ever discusses it seriously.” While the temptation remains to stay “in the closet”, some of north Cyprus’ gay community now say they wish to live in a society that knows who and what they are and does not disapprove. “I’ve lived in Europe and there you can be totally comfortable with what you are. I want it to be like that here.”

July 9, 2008 – PinkNews

11
Gays in Northern Cyprus seek European support for law reform

by Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
An anti-homophobia group in Northern Cyprus has launched an English language version of their website. The politically isolated country is home to the Initiative Against Homophobia. It claims that items 171, 172, and 173 of Punishment Regulations-Chapter 154 should be abrogated from the code of law. These rules "provide the main framework for regulating discrimination against sexual orientation, and they have not been revised since British colonial time." Members of the Initiative Against Homophobia presented their request together with a resolution regarding the intended changes on the current regulations to Fatma Ekenoglu, the head of the Parliamentary of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

"The Initiative Against Homophobia aims to stop homophobia and transphobia within society, prevent discrimination (on the grounds of) sexual orientation and sexual identities," the group said on their website. They describe themselves as a "civil society organisation" dedicated to increasing awareness and fighting for the fundamental rights and freedoms of LGBT people. The new website is a step forward for the gay community in Northern Cyprus, as more people around the world will be able to find out about the situation for LGBT people in the politically closed nation.

An invasion of the island by Turkish troops in 1974 led to partition, with the occupied northern part of the island declaring itself independent in 1983. With the exception of Turkey, the international community does not recognise Northern Cyprus as a separate state. Cyprus is a highly conservative country where the Cypriot Orthodox Church has a huge influence over society. It has frequently stated that homosexuality is wrong and should be kept illegal. When the island became an independent nation in 1960 the anti-gay British colonial laws remained.

Homosexuality is not accepted in mainstream society so LGBT Cypriots fear the consequences coming out. The most recent Eurobarometer survey found Cyprus to be the most homophobic country in the European Union. 73 per cent of respondents said they discriminate against homosexuals. The prospect of joining the EU led to decriminalisation in 1998, with the age of consent for gay sex set at 18, two years above that for heterosexuals. Cyprus also introduced some laws against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and the age of consent was equalised in 2002. It bars gay people from serving in the military. Cyprus joined the EU in 2005.

In recent years newspapers have printed articles on the dire situation for LGBT people in the country which has to be seen as a step forward in informing the public. While some gay friendly venues have opened up in Cyprus, the law in the occupied north makes any moves towards gay rights difficult. Initiative Against Homophobia said: "The basic problem is the existing prohibitive law (in Northern Cyprus) makes the organisation and coordination of gay liberation initiatives impossible.

"The fear of outing and of public confession creates a vicious circle where any movement is condemned from the outset. For this reason the immediate change of this anachronistic law is the necessary condition for any further activities. In order to reach this aim LGBT people in the northern part of Cyprus hope that European institutions, such as the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights will put pressure on the Turkish Cypriot authorities to introduce much-needed reforms and law changes."

Visit the Initiative Against Homophobia website.

July 31, 2008 – PinkNews

12
Concern for gay Iranian refused asylum in Cyprus

by T’Kisha George
The Commissioner of Administration in Cyprus has warned that a gay Iranian man faces death in his homeland if he is deported. Eliana Nicolaou accused the government of putting the man’s life at risk after he was twice rejected for asylum status. In Iran the penalties for homosexual acts are flogging, stoning or hanging. The man, currently in prison for cannabis use, is in a four year relationship with a Cypriot man, who said in a letter to Nicolaou that he would take extreme action if his boyfriend was deported. "Homosexuality is completely forbidden in Iran, " a source within the Iranian Embassy in Cyprus told the Cyprus Mail.

The Iranian man did not mention he was gay when he first applied for asylum as he was scared to say it in front of a third person, believed to be an Iranian interpreter, at the interview. He was still rejected after he revealed his sexuality in a second application. Ombudswoman Nicolaou said the Asylum Service failed to explain clearly and in a convincing manner why it had rejected his asylum application. She pointed out that no reference had been made to the risk of persecution on account of his homosexuality if he was returned to Iran.

"Where homosexuality is illegal in a particular society, the imposition of severe criminal penalties for homosexual conduct could amount to persecution," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Emilia Strovolidou told the Cyprus Mail. "From the moment there is such a strict law, you can?t predict how it will be applied and whether it will be applied. However, the likelihood is always there, and the severe penalties exist, regardless of specific cases."

There have been several stories this year regarding the deportation of homosexual Iranians. Mehdi Kazemi was allowed back to the UK after claiming he faces execution for his sexuality.

December 2008 cyprus-mail.com

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Gay rights campaigners hope to bring ‘offensive’ exhibition to Cyprus

by Jean Christou
GAY rights proponents hope to bring the photo exhibition that offended Euro MP Marios Matsakis to Cyprus for a showing some time next year, they said yesterday. Matsakis ruffled feathers in Strasbourg last week when he asked not to be sent any more invitations to the exhibition of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families in the European Parliament, titled “Different families, same love”. The Cypriot MEP said he found the photographs offensive and asked not to be sent any more. The emails had a poster attached depicting a mixed race male couple sitting on the grass, one with his arm over the shoulder of another, and a lesbian couple sitting with their two children.

“The photos are not at all offensive,” said Cypriot gay rights activist Alecos Modinos, whose case to Europe in the 1990s brought an end to the criminalisation of homosexuality in Cyprus. “I am not myself extremely broad-minded but these are lovely pictures. What offended him was two women with their two children?” Modinos told the Sunday Mail yesterday. “There was no embracing or kissing involved.”

Modinos made the point that Matsakis himself does not have a ‘regular’ family. “Sooner or later, Cyprus will have to deal with same-sex relationships. We are no longer ‘criminals’, but what’s the use if people are still suffering due to the ignorance of others,” Modinos said. He said research had shown that Cypriots were homophobic so it was important, he said, that ordinary people be enlightened about this issue.

Modinos said the exhibition that offended Matsakis would be shown in all 27 EU member states over the next 12 months, and he would be looking for a place to hold the event Marion Oprel, one of the two women in the poster who posed with the couple’s two children aged nine, said she was surprised at Matsakis but that the controversy was a good opportunity to open discussion on same-sex couples in Cyprus.

Oprel has a second home on the island and visits often. “I do understand that a picture of two women and two children is a strange sight for some people, but they need to get used to it,” she said. “The main thing for me is that a discussion is starting. It’s a good thing for Cyprus, or any other country to see things from a new angle. A picture says more than a thousand words.”

Oprel questioned how anyone could be offended by a photo of a happy family. Of Matsakis, she said her children had expressed sympathy for his attitude, saying he had no idea how great it was to be raised by two women, and if someone was not “comfortable with love” perhaps they needed therapy. Modinos said several MEPs had also written to Matsakis.

One email from MEP Britta Thomsen said: “Mr Matsakis I think it is a problem that you as an MEP are working against the fundamental human rights in the European Union… by expressing discriminatory views like this. I think people who wish to carry Europe back to the time before the age of enlightenment should express their views in mediaeval clubs and not bother me with that kind of ignorance.”

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Association (ILGA) Europe said it regretted that Matsakis, and another MEP from Lithuania who had made disparaging comments, “Could not see the love and humanity shared by the families displayed in the exhibition and the message contained that human rights are for all. “We hope that these events will give another opportunity to reflect on the indivisibility of human rights,” it said.

Matsakis has said he suspects there is a campaign against him as a result of his “emotional speech given four-five years ago in favour of the rights of children”. He said his party, the Liberals, played a determining factor in the vote against giving adoption rights to homosexuals.

February 28, 2010 – Cyprus Mail

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Government to look at legalising gay marriage

by Charles Charalambous
The Government will soon examine the issue of making same-sex marriages legal in Cyprus, Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Lazaros Savvides has told the Sunday Mail. Savvides said that the intention is to hold a meeting next month involving the Attorney-general’s office, Law Commissioner Leda Koursoumba, Ombudswoman Eliana Nicolaou – who also heads the Authority against Racism and Discrimination – as well as senior representatives of the relevant government ministries.

The move was prompted by a letter sent to the Interior Ministry by a man who lives permanently in Cyprus, asking for the law governing civil marriages to be amended to allow same-sex marriages. Savvides said that the Ministry did not think it should take a decision on such a matter on its own, and so decided to convene the meeting. According to one press report, the Interior Ministry simply turned down the request, prompting the man to complain in writing to the House of Representatives. The complaint is said to have then been passed on by the House administrative services to members of the House committees for legal affairs and human rights.

In his second letter, the man said that, by being denied the right to marry his male partner under the existing law on civil marriages, he was the victim of a breach of human rights and discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. House Legal Affairs Committee chairman and DISY MP Ionas Nicoloau told the Mail that not all committee members received a copy of the complaint. He said: “Someone contacted me on the matter, but my reply to him was that raising the issue in the House on the initiative of just one party might well lead to it becoming a political football, rather than being treated with the seriousness it deserves. I said it would be better if it came from the government, so the issue will lack political colour.”

The meeting scheduled for next month appears to be a step forward, but given the lack of EU legislation on the issue, there is no guarantee that it will conclude that the law on civil marriages should be amended.

The status of same-sex marriage
The Netherlands was the first country to legalise same-sex marriages (in 2001), with the first marriages performed in Amsterdam City Hall on April 1, 2001. Since then, same-sex marriages have been recognised legally by Belgium (2003), Spain (2005), Canada (2005), South Africa (2006), Norway (2009), Sweden (2009) and Portugal (2010). Same-sex marriage is not recognised by the US federal government, but is legal in five US states: Massachusetts (2004), Connecticut (2008), Iowa (for 4 hours in 2007 and from 2009), Vermont (2009) and New Hampshire (2010). So far, just five EU member states have legalised same-sex marriages, but in a number of other European countries – for example, the UK, Germany and Hungary – same-sex civil unions afford similar rights to marriage.

Also, an EU Directive covering freedom of movement recognises same-sex relationships by allowing a worker’s family to travel with him or her to another member state, whether or not that family derives from a legal marriage in the origin country. People who are in a formally recognised union, like a civil union or partnership, qualify as family members along with either partner’s children, and so do those who have been living as partners for a significant amount of time but do not have the option of legal marriage.

April 11, 2010 – Cypress Mail

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Government pledges to ‘take seriously’ report on gay partnerships

by Stefanos Evripidou
The Government will take “seriously” the Ombudswoman’s latest report recommending legal reforms to allow same-sex partnerships, said Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Lazaros Savvides yesterday. “No decision has been taken. It is something we have to study a bit further. We have not closed the issue, it remains open,” he said.

Ombudswoman Iliana Nicolaou said in a report last week that the legal recognition of same-sex partnerships in Cyprus was imperative in today’s society. She argued the legal vacuum on same-sex partnerships constituted direct discrimination against EU citizens based on sexual orientation, while impacting on a range of issues including insurance, pension, tax and property. She proposed legal reforms to eliminate current inequalities in the rights of same-sex partners who cohabit, noting that “this step would not endanger either the traditional concept of marriage or the traditional form of family”.

Nicolaou further argued that one could not ignore the fact there are people in society who cohabit and are not married, just as one cannot allow the practical degradation of such people. While no decision has been taken yet, various government departments and services met last month to discuss the issue following a complaint by a 24-year-old Cypriot from Paphos who seeks the right to enter into a same-sex marriage in Cyprus.

Savvides told the Sunday Mail that the various departments will continue to examine the issue and reconvene after June to discuss the matter. “The issue is not closed. We heard everyone’s opinions, we are now waiting for the relevant services to study it in further detail and come back to us,” he said. Asked about the ombudswoman’s proposals, he said: “Everything will be examined. The ministry always takes these reports seriously.”

The official noted that an appraisal of the situation in Cyprus and Europe would be sent to the interior minister who then has to decide whether to take the issue to cabinet. “The decision will not be made by civil servants. I think, finally, it’s going to be a political decision,” said Savvides. The 24-year-old who made the initial complaint said yesterday: “I’m very happy about this and hope the interior ministry takes the report into consideration.”

Chairman of the House Legal Affairs Committee, Ionas Nicolaou, raised concerns as to whether Cypriot society was ready for the legalisation of gay marriages. He suggested that same-sex partners could guarantee their rights in most cases without the need for legal reform. “I don’t know if Cypriot society is ready for marriages, I don’t see it being accepted too easily,” said Nicolaou, adding that an argument could be made for some sort of cohabitation agreement recognising certain rights.

The DISY deputy said it was not an urgent issue that had to be dealt with immediately. “If people want to live together, no one is stopping them. The main issues really are inheritance, which could be solved by writing a will, and adoption. The latter is not easy. It’s a big issue, which needs a lot of study. We are a closed society, we are a village basically, the equivalent of a small town in Europe. It’s not easy for a child to be raised by a gay couple in Cypriot society. I remember a time when a child was born out of wedlock and how Cypriot society dealt with that. It’s a very serious issue,” he said.

Nicolaou said all the issues had to be looked at in detail before coming down either in favour or against. One of the issues raised in the ombudswoman’s report was the fact that the non-EU partner of a Cypriot national was going to have to leave the country once his visa expired. The same-sex couple have no way of claiming their rights as a partnership under Cypriot law. The committee chairman suggested the interior ministry take a more humanitarian approach in such a case when it comes to renewing visas, “without the need for legal reform or extreme measures”.

One official source told the Sunday Mail that recognition of same-sex partnerships was likely going to happen in Cyprus, but only over time. It was not something that would come quickly, they said. A long-time gay rights campaigner who wished to remain anonymous congratulated the ombudswoman for being “very progressive”. “On this island, we cannot fight and struggle for human rights for our political issues and oppress the human rights of citizens of the free part of the island. It will be very embarrassing if Cyprus is taken to the ECHR on this issue,” he said.

Former Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Marios Matsakis, agreed that some legal changes would have to be made as long as these were mindful of local sensitivities. “I think some legal reforms are inevitable because of our entry to the EU but there has to be respect to traditions of a member state’s society. Any changes will have to happen gradually, they can’t be sudden,” he said. “After a debate, all views will be heard and compromises made on all sides,” added Matsakis, who during his time in Brussels had a run-in with gay rights groups and MEPs over adoption rights for gay couples.

The former MEP said Cyprus should recognise same-sex partnerships but not marriages, adding he was “definitely against adoption rights”.

May 18, 2010 – Cyprus Mail

16
‘We have to break the wall of homophobia’

by Stefanos Evripidou
Twenty Years after the World Health Organisation (WHO) removed homosexuality from its list of diseases, the first ever group seeking to promote the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) people in Cyprus was announced yesterday. To mark International Day Against Homophobia, the newly-formed group ‘Accept LGBT’ Cyprus was formally launched yesterday at the EU House in the capital. A spokesman for Accept, Giorgis Renginos said the group was set up to promote and protect the equal rights of all citizens in Cyprus, particularly against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender.

Citing a 2006 report prepared by Cyprus College for the Ombudswoman’s office, Renginos noted that homophobia was clearly present in Cyprus, highlighting that 51 per cent of Cypriots feel uncomfortable around homosexuals. “Homophobia is the fact that 75 per cent of Cypriots would have a problem if a friend of theirs was homosexual. Homophobia is the fact that only three per cent of Cypriots would not change their attitude towards their child if they found out that he or she was homosexual,” he said. Fathers avoid hugging their sons because they grow up in an environment where men shouldn’t display signs of love to other men, while some are forced to cut off their contact with the church “not because they’ve lost faith, but because the church itself closes its doors to them”, he added.

The spokesman referred to some of the many problems facing LGBT people in Cyprus, like workplace discrimination, where one woman was recently fired for her sexual orientation, as well as harassment and violence in schools. One recent case involved a school pupil who was raped after his classmates found out he was homosexual. In November 2009, an 18-year-old youth was taken to numerous psychologists by his parents because he told them he was gay. The parents were unable to accept that there was nothing wrong with the boy, despite each psychologist telling them so, said Renginos. The LGBT Cyprus spokesman said the decision was taken to form Accept, so far made up of 127 members, in October 2009, because the only way for things to change in Cyprus was if the public “learnt some truths about the issue and gradually, we hope, begin to change their views”.

The new group’s vision is for “a society free from discrimination and prejudice, particularly with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity”. Renginos referred specifically to the rights currently enjoyed by many Cypriots and Europeans yet which often do not extend to homosexuals, such as rights relating to legal cover, health, pensions, insurance, health, inheritance and property. He noted the battle against prejudice, homophobia and discrimination was not over. “These changes can come about through acceptance of difference and not fear of it,” he said.

Accept plans to meet with political parties and parliament to work on promoting and enshrining equality rights for LGBT people. Another group spokeswoman Despina Michaelidou noted that while five countries in the world make homosexuality a crime punishable by death another five, European countries have adopted marriage equality laws. Eight others afford partial rights like registered partnerships. She cited the same 2006 report, noting that 93 per cent of Cypriots would have a problem with a homosexual person looking after their child; 86 per cent would have a problem if their child’s teacher was homosexual; 75 per cent would have a problem if their friend was homosexual, while 69 per cent of parents would try to change the situation if their child was homosexual.
“Homophobia leads to rejection, silence, exclusion and even suicide among many youth in the world. Homosexuals are in the most vulnerable segments of society,” she said, adding, “We have to break the wall of homophobia. It’s not a choice. Who would choose to be LGBT in a country that’s as homophobic as Cyprus.”

Head of the European Commission Representation in Cyprus Androulla Kaminara, referred to one Eurobarometer which found that Greece and Cyprus had the highest number of people (73 per cent) who found discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation to be very or fairly widespread in their country.

Cyprus, along with Bulgaria, was bottom among EU countries in terms of how comfortable they were about having a homosexual as president, measuring 3.5 out of ten where ten is most comfortable. The EU average was seven. Meanwhile, only 17 per cent of Cypriots said they have friends or acquaintances who are homosexual, again, registering half the EU average. One man who single-handedly forced the government to decriminalise homosexuality, Alecos Modinos, said there were still many cases in Cyprus were homosexuals are kicked out of their homes or forced to marry the opposite sex, while others are given the sack.
“How many cases like this are there? How many dare to seek their rights through the ombudswoman’s office? They would win a case against their employer but they would never get another job,” he said.

More information on the group can be found at the trilingual website.

October 19, 2011 – UK Gay News

17
MEPs Demand the Immediate Release of Three Men Arrested in Cyprus on ‘Gay’ Charges

Brussels – Members of the European Parliament have today called for the immediate release of three men arrested last week at a private home in the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus. After spending five days under arrest, a court yesterday prolonged their arrest for two more days, claiming the police needed to complete its investigation for ‘conspiring to have a sexual intercourse against the order of nature’. The offence carries a penalty of up to five years imprisonment. Former Cyprus Finance Minister, Dr Michael Sarris, and two other men above the age of consent may face charges under Article 171, Chapter 154 of the Criminal Code imposed on the northern part of Cyprus.

Cypriot Members of the European Parliament Eleni Theocharous and Ioannis Kasoulides today called for the immediate release of the three men. “These arrests are in full breach of international law and the human right to private life, the MEPs said in a joint statement sent to UK Gay News. Charging them is illegal under human rights law, denies their most basic rights, and is wholly unnecessary as no harm was done. Consenting adults have the right to engage in sexual intercourse with people of the same sex, these men must be freed now.”

Michael Cashman MEP, co-president of the Parliament’s all-party ‘Intergroup’ on LGBT Rights in the European Parliament, added: “These men must be released without delay, and the binding jurisprudence from the European Court of Human Rights must be implemented immediately in the whole island of Cyprus. “The criminalisation of homosexuality has no place in the 21st century.”

The Intergroup on LGBT Rights urges Turkish authorities in Cyprus to release the three men and clear them of all charges without delay. The northern part of Cyprus is the last territory in Europe where homosexuality is illegal. This is in breach of the binding European Convention on Human Rights, which applies to the territory.

18 October, 2011 – MSM Global Forum

17a
More arrests of gays in Northern Cyprus

by Paul Canning
The three were charged with “relations against nature” 14 October. In July, two were charged with ‘unnatural intercourse’, which carries a five year imprisonment term. Northern Cyprus is the only country in Europe which retains such laws, in their case a relic of the British Empire. According to the Cyprus Mail, one of those arrested is Michalis Sarris, a former finance minister. Sources told the Cyprus Mail that the Turkish Cypriot authorities raided a house in north Nicosia, arresting three males: Sarris and two Turkish Cypriots, believed to be aged 17 and 30-something. The same sources said police in the north raided the house without a warrant.

Initiative Against Homophobia claim that the three "have been subjected to police violence." Head of the Turkish Cypriot Human Rights Foundation Emine Erk said that she hoped that the high-profile arrest of a former finance minister and World Bank employee in connection with an alleged offense that has been decriminalised throughout Europe may bring attention to the need to change the law in the north. Erk said that the law is “not very commonly applied”, with few charges actually been pressed. “It’s usually mixed up with something else. Usually police are trying to pressure someone involved on some other issue,” she said, adding that raiding a private residence was also “not very common”.

The [Cypriot] Cyprus Republic decriminalised homosexuality in 1998 five years after gay activist Alecos Modinos won his battle at the European Court of Human Rights but it took another two years to have deliberately offensive terms describing homosexual relations removed from the new legislation and then only under threat from Europe. In 2002, parliament removed a further bone of contention, equalizing the age of consent for heterosexuals and homosexuals to 17. The Cyprus Mail notes that if Turkish Cypriot police pursue the case and it goes to trial, a further line of defense will be to question the validity of the crime itself since it violates the European Convention on Human Rights which the North has bound itself to.

Initiative Against Homophobia accuse the Northern Cyprus media in their reporting of the case of ‘normalizing an attitude of hatred’ and ‘feeding homophobic reports and comments to the public’.

Full text of article available here

20 October 2011 – PinkNews

18
London MEP says North Cyprus president promised to repeal anti-gay laws

by Jessica Geen
A Conservative MEP for London says North Cyprus president Dervis Eroglu promised her he would repeal laws against homosexuality. Marina Yannakoudakis was visiting Nicolosia as part of her role on an EU group for relationships with the Turkish Cypriot community. She said: “It’s not illegal to be gay anywhere else in Europe; it’s not illegal to be gay in Turkey. Chapter 154 of the penal code is an anachronism and needs to be repealed. All Cypriot adults should have the right to engage in consensual sex be it with the same or different gender. I hope that Dr Eroglu will keep the promise he made to me to rescind the ban and I will keep the pressure on him until he does.”

Ms Yannakoudakis’ statement follows news that three men were arrested by police last week for having gay sex in a private home. They were arrested on the charge of “conspiring to have a sexual intercourse against the order of nature”, an offence which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. According to the Cyprus Mail, former finance minister Michalis Sarris, 65, was one of the three arrested. The other men were aged 17 and 30-something.

Unlike Cyprus, the Northern Republic still has British colonial laws against homosexuality. In July, newspaper reports said two men were arrested for having sex in a hotel.

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