A leading Romanian newspaper, România Liberă, has been criticised after its front page compared LGBT+ people to Nazis. The photo depicts a drag queen dressed in a Nazi uniform. The swastika on the red armband has been replaced with a rainbow pride flag. Beside the officer is the headline “Noua Ordine LGBTQ”, or “New LGBTQ Order”. The sub-headline reads: “Equality, but not for Christians.”

The article, written by Anghel Buturuga and Cătălin Sturza, claims that Romanian Christians face religious discrimination from LGBT+ activists. The authors claim that “the abuse (from LGBT+ activists) is widespread and driven by a socially toxic climate caused by the so-called ‘social justice’ of left-wing activists”. They go on to cite Kim Davis’ experience following her refusal to issue marriage licenses to LGBT+ couples as evidence of Christian disenfranchisement. 

On October 7 Romanians will go to the polls to vote on a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. If it passes, gay marriage will be considered unconstitutional in the country’s legislation.

One Romanian LGBT+ activist spoke to PinkNews about the publication of the image, and its significance in the lead up to the referendum, which has been deemed homophobic by Amnesty International:

“România Liberă was using an image of Nazis (people who were actively hunting and hurting other people) to portray the LGBT+ community, which is made out of people who are calmly and politely asking for others to treat them nicely. How are we supposed to evolve as a country, as a species?

“They are using imagery like that to manipulate the masses here in Romania, and they are actively trying to change the legislation.

“Currently, the legislation states that marriage can only happen between spouses, it doesn’t specify the gender.

“When they found that out, they panicked and now they’re trying to change the legislation so it forces marriage to be only between a man and a woman. Shameful.”