Date:         Wed, 20 Jul 1994 10:36:02 -0400

[ Send all responses to lt@fek.su.se ]

Press release from Kom Ut International.
Kom Ut,
box 350
101 26 Stockholm
Sweden
tel int+46-8-736 0217
fax int+46-8-30 47 30
email lt@fek.su.se or lewist@netcom.com

for further information contact:
Erik Kubista int+46-8-667 5999
or concerning the human rights situation in Romania:
Martin Andreason, RFSL, int+46-8-651 9817


======================================================

NORDIC ARTISTS PROHIBITED FROM PERFORMING IN ROMANIA

Last Saturday the Theater Casa di Cultura was surrounded
by policemen and dogs determined to prevent homosexual
artists from performing there.

Five Nordic artists - dancer Erik Kubista, musician Peter
Berg and ERI, the Finnish dance troupe - were booked to
participate in an international gay and lesbian art
festival in Bucharest.

However, giving in to outside pressure, the director of
the Ion Cranga Theater canceled Friday's performance on
extremely short notice. The show was then moved to Casa
di Cultura. But upon arriving at the Casa di Cultura the
artists and prospective audience were greeted by a large
number of policemen ordered there by the mayor, who
formally prohibited the performance.

"We weren't even allowed to hold a press conference at
our hotel, The Minerva," says dancer Erik Kubista. "CNN,
the Romanian TV and about 20 journalist who showed up
were forced out onto the noisy boulevard instead."

The festival - which had received support from the
Swedish Institute Foundation, the RFSL AIDS Foundation
and TUPILAK, an organization for gay Nordic artists, as
well as the German foundation, Hennchen Mehrzweck - was
arranged by Gay 45, a newly founded gay magazine.

Until recently Romania has had the most severe antigay
legislation in Europe, but the country relaxed some of
their laws as the result of international pressure. The
Swedish artists were stopped in accordance with the law
passed in May of this year that forbids the presentation
of homosexuality in a positive light.

"At the press conference the journalists got right to the
point. "What if I dance after openly admitting that I am
gay. Would I be breaking the law?" asked Erik Kubista.

The events caused quite a stir in the Romanian press and
television. In the fall of 1993 Romania was granted
admission to the Council of Europe on the condition that
the country ameliorate its human rights legislation. The
human rights of gays and lesbians was mentioned
explicitly.

The Romanian daily newspaper, Tineretul Liber, pointed
out after the events, which aroused a great deal of
attention, that the situation in the country is now
intolerable. Would an artist like Elton John be allowed
to perform in Romania? Would Nureyev have been allowed to
dance? And are Karl Lagerfeld's fashion designs welcome
in Romania? Lagerfeld is openly gay, says the newspaper.