Indicator history

In 2010, George Becali, the principal owner of Steaua football club, declared that ‘Not even if I had to close Steaua down would I accept a homosexual on the team'.

Mr. Becali was member of the European Parliament till December 2012 when he was elected as a member of the Romanian Parliament. He is also the politician with most discriminatory statements before the equality body, covering various grounds of discrimination (see also chapter on political parties within RED).

Regarding his homophobic statement mentioned above,  ACCEPT Association, a Romanian LGBT rights organisation complained against him and the Steaua football club to the Romanian Equality Body - the National Council for Combating Discrimination (NCCD). The Council found discrimination but issued only a written warning and no administrative fine, arguing that, according to the Romanian law on the legal regime on sanctions, a fine can not be imposed after more than six months from the date of the fact. Moreover, the Council rejected the complaint against the football club.

ACCEPT Association appealed the NCCD's decision at the Bucharest Court of Appeal. The Court referred the case for preliminary ruling to the Court of Justice of the EU in Luxembourg in order to question it on the interpretation of the provisions of the Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation. The hearing at the Court took place on 23 January 2013.

The case is pending. Also because there are not many cases before the ECJ on sexual orientation, this case is considered to be of great significance.

Sources:

• Open Society Foundations, Football and Anti-Gay Bigotry in the European Union, 22 January 2013, available at http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/football-and-anti-gay-bigotry-european-union (accesed at 25.02.2013).
• Official Journal of the European Union, Case C-81/12 Asociaţia Accept v Consiliul Naţional pentru Combaterea Discriminării, availlable at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2012:126:0006:0007:EN:PDF (accesed at 25.02.2013).
• Realitatea.net, Lovitură cumplită pentru Gigi Becali judecat la Curtea de Justitie a UE, 23 January 2013, available at http://www.realitatea.net/gigi-becali-curtea-de-justitie-a-uniunii-europene-accept-homosexual_1096763.html (accesed at 25.02.2013)
• Accept Romania, First Romanian discrimination case on the grounds of sexual orientation analyzed by the European Court of Justice, available at: http://accept-romania.ro/en/stiri/primul-caz-romanesc-de-discriminare-pe-criteriul-orientarii-sexuale-analizat-de-cjue/ (accessed at: 25.02.2013)