EMPs push for review of Cyprus gay rights
NICOSIA (AFP) – Under pressure from Euro MPs for its gay rights record, Cyprus said yesterday it was moving swiftly to amend discriminatory provisions on the law decriminalizing homosexuality. Cyprus has received protests and pressure from the EU arena regarding its failure to harmonize legislation on homosexuality to a level which is deemed acceptable, government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou told reporters. He said some Euro MPs voted against the latest European Parliament report on Cyprus’s progress in the accession talks, citing the island’s poor human rights record on homosexuals. There is a discrepancy in the age of consent which is 18 for homosexuals and 16 for heterosexuals. There is also a differentiation in the penalties imposed. We are seeking uniformity on these issues, said the spokesman. Cyprus repealed a ban on homosexual acts in 1998. He proceeded to Feres, where he maneuvered the vehicle for quarter of an hour outside the bar before driving back. Nobody was hurt, though a shop window got broken.
