Thomas
2004-09-21 13:50:11 UTC
Statement posted by Kurt Krickler, Vienna, Austria, of the International
Gay and Lesbian Association, on the "Direct Forum" messageboard of the
Nana Mouskouri website (www.nana.mouskouri.online.fr) at 15.29 on 20
September 2004, and immediately removed by webmaster, Philippe Berri.
"First of all, I want to stress that Nana Mouskouris term in the
European Parliament (EP) coincided with me being co-chair of ILGA-Europe
(www.ilga-europe.org), especially in the years 1997-1999. In that time
I attended on a regular basis the monthly meetings in Strasbourg of the
(cross-party) EP Intergroup on equal rights for gays and lesbians. In
the Intergroup we often commented, amongst ourselves, upon Mouskouris
voting behaviour. It was not that we took her too seriously, but
because she is such a gay icon we wondered why she always voted against
gay and lesbian rights. The gay and lesbian assistants of various
members of the European Parliament followed her voting behaviour much
closer than I did, and so I think it would have been noticed if she once
voted in favour of LGBT rights.
Nana Mouskouri voted against Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT)
rights or pro-LGBT wordings in motions and resolutions on the following
occasions:
1. The annual report on respect for human rights in the European Union
for 1995 (document A4-0112/97), drafted by German Green MEP Claudia
Roth, was put to a vote on 8 April 1997. Mouskouri not only voted
against Amendment 15 to the draft resolution, welcoming the fact that
Sweden and Denmark provided for the legal recognition of homosexual
couples and urging all other member states to follow that example, but
she also voted against the full resolution that contained pro-LGBT
wording in items 121, 135, 136 and 137. Although non-binding, these
annual reports and resolutions on human rights in the EU have been very
important as texts adopted by the European Parliament since they also
address respect for the human rights of LGBT people.
2. On 15 July 1998 Mouskouri voted against putting on the agenda of the
European Parliament an emergency resolution condemning the violation of
the human rights of homosexuals in Romania. The motion was defeated.
3. On 16 September 1998, Mouskouri again voted against putting on the
agenda of the European Parliament a resolution in favour of the human
rights of homosexuals. However, this time, the motion was passed and
the resolution was put to a vote the next day, 17 September. Mouskouri
missed that vote on the resolution. Her name does not appear on the
roll-call record . Thus, when this resolution finally made it onto the
EP agenda, Mouskouri had not voted against it, although neither had she
attended and voted for its inclusion. This resolution (document
#B4-0824 and 0852) was one of the most important pro-LGBT resolutions
ever passed in the European Parliament. It urged, among other things,
that Austria repeal its discriminatory age of consent legislation, and
it stated the EPs committment not to "give its consent to the accession
of any country that, through its legislation or policies, violates the
human rights of lesbians and gay men". This was a historic statement
and led to the repeal by 2002 of anti-gay criminal code provisions in
five EU accession countries.
4. On 10 February 1999, the EP voted on the "second report on the
proposal for a Council Act establishing the Convention on rules for the
admission of third-country nationals to the Member States" (Lehne
report, doc. #A4-0045/99). An amendment (#44) tabled for the report
sought to include in this proposal non-married partners regardless of
sex for the purpose of family reunion. Nana Mouskouri voted against
this amendment.
5. On the same day, the European Parliament voted on the Lindeperg
report (doc. #A4-0450/98) "on the harmonisation of forms of protection
complementing refugee status in the European Union". Amendment 1 sought
to add to the "Considerations" of the draft report that several member
states already granted refugee status to people persecuted on the
grounds of their sexual orientation, while Amendment 2 sought to ensure
that countries with a total ban on homosexuality should not be
considered as safe countries of origin or transit for gays and lesbians,
and to urge member states not already doing so to grant asylum to
persons persecuted on the grounds of their sexual orientation.
Mouskouri voted not only against both amendments but also against the
full report/resolution.
I think these five examples are proof enough of Nana Mouskouris
anti-LGBT voting record during her years as a member of the European
Parliament. Anyone undertaking further research (all records are kept
by the European Parliament) will not find, I am afraid, any more
favourable examples of Nana Mouskouris voting behaviour.
Kurt Krickler, Vienna."
Gay and Lesbian Association, on the "Direct Forum" messageboard of the
Nana Mouskouri website (www.nana.mouskouri.online.fr) at 15.29 on 20
September 2004, and immediately removed by webmaster, Philippe Berri.
"First of all, I want to stress that Nana Mouskouris term in the
European Parliament (EP) coincided with me being co-chair of ILGA-Europe
(www.ilga-europe.org), especially in the years 1997-1999. In that time
I attended on a regular basis the monthly meetings in Strasbourg of the
(cross-party) EP Intergroup on equal rights for gays and lesbians. In
the Intergroup we often commented, amongst ourselves, upon Mouskouris
voting behaviour. It was not that we took her too seriously, but
because she is such a gay icon we wondered why she always voted against
gay and lesbian rights. The gay and lesbian assistants of various
members of the European Parliament followed her voting behaviour much
closer than I did, and so I think it would have been noticed if she once
voted in favour of LGBT rights.
Nana Mouskouri voted against Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT)
rights or pro-LGBT wordings in motions and resolutions on the following
occasions:
1. The annual report on respect for human rights in the European Union
for 1995 (document A4-0112/97), drafted by German Green MEP Claudia
Roth, was put to a vote on 8 April 1997. Mouskouri not only voted
against Amendment 15 to the draft resolution, welcoming the fact that
Sweden and Denmark provided for the legal recognition of homosexual
couples and urging all other member states to follow that example, but
she also voted against the full resolution that contained pro-LGBT
wording in items 121, 135, 136 and 137. Although non-binding, these
annual reports and resolutions on human rights in the EU have been very
important as texts adopted by the European Parliament since they also
address respect for the human rights of LGBT people.
2. On 15 July 1998 Mouskouri voted against putting on the agenda of the
European Parliament an emergency resolution condemning the violation of
the human rights of homosexuals in Romania. The motion was defeated.
3. On 16 September 1998, Mouskouri again voted against putting on the
agenda of the European Parliament a resolution in favour of the human
rights of homosexuals. However, this time, the motion was passed and
the resolution was put to a vote the next day, 17 September. Mouskouri
missed that vote on the resolution. Her name does not appear on the
roll-call record . Thus, when this resolution finally made it onto the
EP agenda, Mouskouri had not voted against it, although neither had she
attended and voted for its inclusion. This resolution (document
#B4-0824 and 0852) was one of the most important pro-LGBT resolutions
ever passed in the European Parliament. It urged, among other things,
that Austria repeal its discriminatory age of consent legislation, and
it stated the EPs committment not to "give its consent to the accession
of any country that, through its legislation or policies, violates the
human rights of lesbians and gay men". This was a historic statement
and led to the repeal by 2002 of anti-gay criminal code provisions in
five EU accession countries.
4. On 10 February 1999, the EP voted on the "second report on the
proposal for a Council Act establishing the Convention on rules for the
admission of third-country nationals to the Member States" (Lehne
report, doc. #A4-0045/99). An amendment (#44) tabled for the report
sought to include in this proposal non-married partners regardless of
sex for the purpose of family reunion. Nana Mouskouri voted against
this amendment.
5. On the same day, the European Parliament voted on the Lindeperg
report (doc. #A4-0450/98) "on the harmonisation of forms of protection
complementing refugee status in the European Union". Amendment 1 sought
to add to the "Considerations" of the draft report that several member
states already granted refugee status to people persecuted on the
grounds of their sexual orientation, while Amendment 2 sought to ensure
that countries with a total ban on homosexuality should not be
considered as safe countries of origin or transit for gays and lesbians,
and to urge member states not already doing so to grant asylum to
persons persecuted on the grounds of their sexual orientation.
Mouskouri voted not only against both amendments but also against the
full report/resolution.
I think these five examples are proof enough of Nana Mouskouris
anti-LGBT voting record during her years as a member of the European
Parliament. Anyone undertaking further research (all records are kept
by the European Parliament) will not find, I am afraid, any more
favourable examples of Nana Mouskouris voting behaviour.
Kurt Krickler, Vienna."