‘We have to break the wall of homophobia’

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 www.acceptcy.org.