The US Embassy in Bratislava is flying a rainbow flag and has issued along with 19 other embassies the Representation of the European Commission in Slovakia in a joint statement supporting Rainbow PRIDE Bratislava 2013, the TASR newswire wrote.
“By flying this rainbow flag, the US Embassy in Bratislava is symbolically demonstrating our support and commitment to rights that I know Slovakia also supports and protects,” US Ambassador Theodore Sedgwick said in a video message on the Internet.
The embassies supporting the march refer to the principles of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union which include a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation.
“We, as members of the international community, support the parade organizers and participants,” the statement reads. “On this occasion, we reaffirm the principles of the Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which includes the prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. We believe that everyone, including LGBTI people, should be free to enjoy the rights and freedoms laid out not only in EU guarantees, but also in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
We do not ask anyone to abandon their principles in the public debate that occurs in any democracy. We support respect for universal human rights as a fundamental aspect of our work, our mission, and our world. In this respect, we welcome the efforts of Slovak authorities in ensuring LGBTI rights are respected and protected,” it reads.
The embassies of Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, the European Commission Representation in Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States have endorsed the statement.
The fourth annual Rainbow PRIDE Bratislava will take place September 21.
Source: TASR, Sme)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
