Tens of thousands march in Romania demanding LGBTQ equality

8/6/2025 6:26

Tens of thousands of Romanians joined an LGBTQ Pride march in Bucharest on Saturday, demanding civil union partnership legislation and equal rights

after a highly-contested presidential election last month buoyed the far right.



The European Union state has so far ignored a 2023 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which found Romania had failed to enforce the rights of same-sex couples by refusing to recognise their relationships.



Socially conservative Romania decriminalised homosexuality in 2001, decades later than other parts of the EU, but still bars marriage and civil partnerships for same-sex couples.



"We want legal protection for same-sex couples, an easy legal procedure for transitioning, protection against hate speech and prejudice-based crimes," said Teodora Roseti, president of Romanian LGBTQ rights organisation ACCEPT and Pride's organiser.