Complaint filed against Romanian MP Diana Stoica over message about gay people

In Romania, the Centre for Education and Human Rights Association (ACEDO) filed a complaint against MP Diana Stoica with the National Council for Combating Discrimination (CNCD). As Gândul reported on 19 October 2026, it concerns a message in the parliamentary European Affairs Committee’s WhatsApp group.

Stoica represents the Save Romania Union (USR) and chairs that committee in the Chamber of Deputies. Digi24 published on 16 October the text she forwarded, asking: “Why are there more gay people than women in Romania’s government?”

In an interview with Digi24 on the evening of 16 October, Stoica said she had forwarded the message accidentally with working documents and had not written it. She denied intending to intrude on anyone’s private life, recalled her party’s support for civil partnerships and promised to take greater care when forwarding messages.

ACEDO argues that contrasting women with gay people can stigmatise people on grounds of sexual orientation. However, its complaint, published by Gândul, does not attribute authorship to Stoica or ask for discriminatory intent to be presumed. It requests examination of the correspondence’s public character, the circumstances of forwarding and the explanation of an error, with freedom of expression also taken into account.

Social Democrat Florin Manole called the message homophobic and demanded consideration by parliament’s disciplinary committee. He said colleagues had seen the text in a group intended to organise committee work.

CNCD is an autonomous state body that examines discrimination complaints.

Uránia previously reported on Council of Europe supervision of the execution of an ECHR judgment on legal protection for same-sex couples in Romania. The civil partnerships mentioned by Stoica form part of that wider debate about family recognition.