lgbt@accept.editorial Political Asylum and Sexual Orientation by Adrian Coman, Executive Director of ACCEPT Dozens of Romanian lesbians and gays have asked me, either directly or indirectly, whether they would stand any chances of being granted a political asylum in the West and if ACCEPT could help them apply for and receive the status of political refugee. ACCEPT was also demanded to provide information regarding the legal provisions and juridical practice related to homosexuals in Romania, by either lesbian and gay organisations, or foreign government agencies (from Belgium, The Netherlands, and Canada). Below I shall attempt to clarify several key aspects regarding the procedures for being granted political asylum and to point out sources for information in this respect.

It is a statute that can be granted to a person who left their country because of prosecution exercised upon them by governmental agents. The application for asylum shall be filled in within the country for which the asylum is requested, which means that first you have to get there.

The governmental agencies that deal with asylum seekers will need proofs that should attest the applicant's statements (for instance: summons from the Police and witnesses that can attest that the applicant was subject to prosecution and that she or he can no longer live in the homecountry). The information provided by the applicant will be checked. Most of the times, the respective country's embassy to Romania, or human rights organisations are asked to cooperate in this respect. The person who is granted political asylum will ordinarily not be allowed come back to their country of origin for a period of at least five years.

There are many Romanian citizens who ask for political asylum in different countries (varying from the United States to Poland!), claiming that they can no longer live in Romania because to their sexual orientation and the legal situation emerging from the existence of article 200 from the Penal Code, which denies fundamental rights to homosexuals. The governmental agencies will analyse each case separately, trying to find proofs egarding the asylum seeker's being prosecuted and her or his impossibility to go on living in Romania. In this case, their being part of the sexual minority is not compulsory.

ACCEPT can provide information about the Romanian legal situation and practice related to homosexuality - most of the information is already available on ACCEPT website at http://accept.ong.ro/englishinfo.html, including several examples of Romanian gays being discriminated.

ACCEPT cannot put a word for you at the foreign embassies to Bucharest or at the agencies that deal with the refugees.