A debate has developed on social networks after a decision by the City Council of Tirana on the criteria for beneficiaries of social housing programs. They are a category of individuals who will have the opportunity to benefit from a loan interest subsidy for the purchase of a home, based on a points system.
Among these categories are also people from the LGBTI community, for whom Pano Soko or Adriatik Lapaj say that they are being favored to get houses with soft loans.
“Individuals who belong to the LGBTI community get two bonus points. Now what is this discrimination for sexual affiliation”, says Soko.
This has also brought the reaction of the LGBTI Alliance, which says that individuals who belong to the LGBTI community and who are victims due to their sexual orientation or gender identity benefit from social housing based on the law.
The full LGBT reaction:
Nisma Thurje claims that if you tell the municipality that you are LGBTI, they will give you a soft loan for housing. This is untrue.
Since 2018, Law No. 22/2018 on Social Housing, where in Article 16 of this law it is clearly stated: Individuals who belong to the LGBTI community AND who are victims due to sexual orientation or gender identity are assisted, based on the decisions of the competent bodies, according to the legislation on protection against discrimination .
So, those LGBTI citizens who are subject to systematic violence and discrimination – proven by reports to the police and competent bodies – because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and who, as a consequence, are in unfavorable economic and social conditions, benefit from this policy. . This includes LGBTI people abused and driven from their homes by their families, or those who cannot find work due to discrimination and are unable to provide income for basic needs, such as housing.
Next, I want to address another comment made by Pano Soko, also on behalf of Nisma Thurje, who asks: “Why should these people be paid with my taxes?” and mentions the “sanctity of the family,” suggesting that the existence of LGBTI people is a threat to the family.
We must remember that taxpayers’ money is used for the welfare of all citizens, including marginalized communities. Social programs that aim to ensure a life of dignity for LGBTI people are no different from those that support women, children, people with disabilities, or racial and ethnic minorities. Opposition to the participation of LGBTI persons in these programs contradicts the values of equality and justice on which our society and democratic system is built.
LGBTI people are citizens, tax payers and contributors to the country’s economy, just like any other citizen. Social programs exist to protect and support the most vulnerable and marginalized groups, ensuring that everyone has equal opportunities and enjoys basic human rights.
The question you should be asking as politicians is not “Why should we support LGBTI people with our taxes?” but “How can we ensure that every citizen, regardless of characteristics such as sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or other abilities, lives with dignity?”
Pano’s pockets would benefit greatly if Pano fostered a cost-free spirit in society.
The populist rhetoric of threatening the family is also used by Adriatik Lapaj, who writes on Facebook: “Whoever attacks the concept of the family deserves only our disgust. Long live the family! Long live the mother! Long live the father!”
If the message here is that the existence of a different sexual orientation endangers the family, then I remind Panos, Adriatikus, and their friends that we LGBTI people, like you, came into life from our parents—the mothers and fathers who raised us with love and sacrifice. Fortunately, many of them face the myopia of others every day and represent their children, protect their family and do not throw them away to shut up their neighbors or for a handful of votes. We consider our parents sacred and are deeply grateful for all they have done for us. With the same love and sacrifices with which we were raised by them, we have also created our families, which, because of cowardly politicians like you, do not enjoy any legal rights.
The real threat to the Albanian family does not come from two people who need and fight to live free, equal and with dignity. The threat comes from corruption that has deformed every relationship and sense of justice in this country, from the lack of the rule of law and social policies that are not comprehensive. Albanian families have and continue to have their children flee abroad for a better life, surprisingly, where LGBTI citizens also enjoy fairer treatment than here.
As young politicians, you have undertaken to bring a new political spirit, based on democratic values. But Albania DOESN’T DO with such exclusionary and discriminatory rhetoric that only deepens divisions and harms both the family and social cohesion.
It’s clear to me that these attitudes you hold come from your own internal biases and the populist belief that attacking the LGBTI community will bring you more votes. But by attacking us, you will not only lose our votes, but those of our families, our friends, our allies, and anyone who is tired of the old pattern of divisive politics.
I, as well as many others, wonder: If you show these oppressive and authoritarian tendencies towards one of the most vulnerable groups in society without yet being an integral part of politics, how would you use your power if you were to climb higher politically?
