Even though homosexuality is officially legal in Moldova, the situation is difficult for the LGBTQ+ community in the small country located between Romania and Ukraine in the post-Soviet space. Hate speech in election campaigns and the influence of the conservative Russian Orthodox Church make life especially difficult for gay men and the queer community. Couple of Men reporter Sarah learned about the LGBTQ+ community in the Eastern European country through an online event explicitly organized for activists and journalists. During this event, she spoke with local journalists and activists, gaining insight into LGBTQ+ and gay-friendliness in Moldova. After traveling as a single woman to Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Republic of Georgia, Lebanon, Russia, and Ukraine, she is now analyzing the gay and LGBTQ+ rights in Moldova 2025.
written by Sarah Tekath

Recent legal developments and international pressure
In January 2023, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Moldova must legally recognize same-sex partnerships. This landmark decision followed several years of litigation from LGBTQ+ activists, including support from Genderdoc-M and European NGOs. The Fedotova ruling by the Grand Chamber clarified that all Council of Europe members must offer legal recognition of same-sex couples under the right to private and family life. Despite this ruling, Moldova has yet to adopt concrete legislative measures. Currently, Moldova’s Constitution and Family Code define marriage exclusively as a union between a man and a woman. The Constitutional Court has yet to rule on any challenge to this definition. The ruling, however, has increased international pressure on the Moldovan government to implement legal reforms that align with European human rights standards.
In the same year, Moldova expanded its anti-discrimination laws to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity more clearly. While enforcement remains weak, this update represents a critical step forward for queer rights across various sectors, from education to healthcare.
LGBTQ+ visibility in Chișinău and youth-driven change
Despite the hostile environment, LGBTQ+ youth in Moldova are driving cultural shifts, especially in urban centers like Chișinău. Youth-led initiatives at schools and universities are creating safer spaces for queer students. In 2022, several student groups independently organized tolerance workshops and small Pride-themed classroom actions without direct involvement from ministries or parents.
Social media also plays a growing role in fostering community and visibility regarding LGBTQ+ rights in Moldova, as in 2025. TikTok and Instagram have become platforms for young Moldovans to come out, share experiences, and challenge homophobia. According to Genderdoc-M, online activism has become a lifeline for queer youth in rural areas who feel isolated or threatened.
The role of the Orthodox Church and anti-LGBT campaigns
The Moldovan Orthodox Church continues to be a significant political and social force behind anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment. In collaboration with nationalist political parties, church leaders have spoken out against Pride events, same-sex partnerships, and inclusive education. In 2023, they actively campaigned against the ECHR ruling, framing it as a Western attack on “traditional Moldovan values.”
This rhetoric is echoed by fringe vigilante groups, many of whom draw inspiration from Russian movements like Occupy Pedophilia. While such groups are not officially sanctioned, their actions are rarely prosecuted, leaving queer Moldovans exposed to harassment and physical violence.
International Solidarity and Travel Advisory
While LGBTQ+ Moldovans continue to face discrimination and legal insecurity, international solidarity has been growing. Organizations like ILGA-Europe and Amnesty International have amplified calls for reform. Some EU countries have increased funding for queer civil society in Moldova through cultural exchange, education, and community safety initiatives.
For travelers: While Moldova is not considered a safe haven for LGBTQ+ people, especially outside of Chișinău, visitors who attend Pride events or connect with local activists can support visibility and allyship on the ground. As always, discretion and awareness of local laws are advised, especially when traveling as a same-sex couple.
Genderdoc-M – Moldova’s only LGBTQ+ rights NGO
Anastasia Danilova is an LGBTQ+ activist and Executive Director of Genderdoc-M Information Centre in Chisinau. Genderdoc-M is Moldova’s only LGBT rights NGO and was founded in 1998, making it one of the oldest and largest LGBT organizations in the post-Soviet space. “We inform people about LGBT issues and collect discrimination cases,” Danilova says. “We also provide training and monitor hate speech against LGBT people in our country.” Furthermore, Genderdoc-M also offers a health program that focuses on HIV/AIDS on the one hand and mental health on the other, she said. Further, she said, there are also support groups for queer people and family members of LGBT people.

Gay Travel Index 2025
The Berlin-based Spartacus informs LGBTQ+ and queer travelers about how gay-friendly a holiday destination is according to several ranking factors and criteria.
Which country ranks first? Where is it safe to travel to as a gay and LGBTQ+ traveler?
You can use the GTI to prepare for your gaycation and as a guide when choosing a holiday destination.
Homosexuality is legal in Moldova
Homosexuality is no longer illegal in Moldova since 1995. “However, this was not a decision of Moldova,” says Anastasiia Danilova, “but it was a requirement of the Council of Europe. Moldova was eager to become a member there, and that’s why it decided to decriminalize homosexuality.” Unfortunately, she said, this did not entail a comprehensive change of the law. “Pressure from the European Union is often the only tool we have,” the activist explains. “That’s why we usually turn to our European partners when LGBT people are discriminated against in Moldova.”
There are only three laws that affect LGBT people, Danilova said. In 2013, an anti-discrimination law came into force, but its only paragraph refers mainly to the field of labor. “However, Genderdoc-M’s work has shown that we can use this paragraph against discrimination in other areas of LGBT life as well,” Danilova said. Another law, she said, is freedom of association, which came into force in 2008. “Sexual orientation is not explicitly mentioned in it, but we used this paragraph against the state of Moldova in 2006. But only in 2012, we received an official decision from the European Court of Human Rights saying that by banning the Pride march, Moldova was guilty of discrimination against LGBT people,” the activist says.
In 2022, Moldova adopted legal provisions explicitly criminalizing hate crimes and hate speech based on sexual orientation and gender identity, marking a significant step forward for LGBTQ+ protections. This marked a significant legal step forward for LGBTQ+ rights in the country.

The third law is the 2009 Right to Asylum, which explicitly names sexual orientation. However, she says, this is rarely referred to by Genderdoc-M, as LGBT people are more likely to emigrate rather than immigrate due to the situation in Moldova. “At the same time, it is a shame that LGBT people have to leave their country and family just to finally be themselves.”
Regarding same-sex marriages or adoptions, however, there would be no legislation at all. In January 2023, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Moldova is legally obligated to recognize same-sex partnerships. Despite this ruling, no concrete legal implementation has followed, and the Moldovan government has not introduced any relevant legislation to date.
However, the organization of Pride in Moldova events has been possible since 2002, even though in subsequent years, events were often canceled by the responsible government. Although the Pride parade is lined with police officers, Danilova says, this, in turn, restricts the freedom of movement and thus the visibility of the LGBT community. For many residents of Chisinau, this makes the Pride march invisible. At the same time, the police frequently refuse to record hate crimes against LGBT people as such. “In the official statistics in Moldova, there are zero hate crimes against LGBT people,” Danilova said.
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20 Euro fine for a hate crime (including LGBTQ+ people)
In Moldova, a draft law has been before parliament for seven years to specify what hate crimes are and how they should be punished, says Doina Ioana Straisteanu, a lawyer and human rights activist in Chisinau. By her account, she is the only lawyer in Moldova who advocates for LGBT rights in the country. However, the political leadership does not see this as a priority at the moment. At the same time, annual reports by the LGBT organization Genderdoc-M showed the number of hate crimes. “The knowledge that hates crime as such is not punishable leads to more and more of such attacks against marginalized groups – including LGBT people,” Straisteanu said. For the lawyer, however, it is clear why there is precisely no prioritization of the issue for politicians, she said. “We are in the middle of an election campaign.”
As an attorney who also represents LGBT people against hate crimes, she said she uses what she has. “For example, I have the ability – even though hate crimes as such are not enshrined in the law – to ask for a sentence enhancement if it becomes clear that the crime was motivated solely by the sexual orientation of the person harmed.” It is possible to consider the aspect of hate in criminal prosecution, he said. However, he said, this only refers to the four components of ethnicity, social standing, nationality, and religion. Sexual orientation does not apply.
There is also a paragraph criminalizing discrimination.

Being Gay in Ukraine
The geographic location of Ukraine, sandwiched between Poland and Russia, is almost indicative of the current situation of the LGBTQ+ Community and how it is to be gay in the East European country.
This was used by Straisteanu against the radical Russian anti-LGBT vigilante group Occupy Pedophilia, which is also based in Moldova’s major cities, he said. Using dating apps and the Internet, he said, the group invited gay men on dates to attack and beat them up. In the city of Balti, a group of around 20 young men had attacked their client, filmed the acts, and then published them on the Internet. It had been possible to identify all those involved based on this footage, but there had still been no convictions because, with a few exceptions, all the attackers had been under the age of 16. The few aged 17 were sentenced to several years’ imprisonment on probation.
LGBTQ+ rights Moldova 2025
Although there were ten proven cases of hate crimes against LGBT people in Moldova, this was the only case that resulted in a conviction, Straisteanu said. According to more recent annual reports by Genderdoc-M, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people in Moldova remain severely underreported, and successful legal prosecutions are still extremely rare. The lack of political will and structural legal protections continues to hinder justice for victims. This was in 2016/17, he said. In all other cases, he said, a criminal investigation was denied. Straisteanu would have referred these cases to the European Court of Human Rights.
Further, there had been a case in Balti in which a man was hit in the face on the street by an unknown man. The basis for this, the lawyer said, was that the victim had been seen on the Internet, with the comment that he was gay. In fact, she said, the victim was gay but had not been out at the time. The attacker was sentenced to a fine of 20 euros.
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Politicians use prejudice to manipulate
“The social situation in Moldova is very difficult,” says Danilova, “because there is a lot of prejudice against LGBT people within society, which is frequently used by politicians to manipulate public opinion.” Attorney Doina Ioana Straisteanu confirms this as well. “Public opinion clearly shows that people think LGBT people are bad. For example, no one wants to live next to them, and they do not accept gay or lesbian family members. This hatred is systematically instilled in people by political parties.” That’s why Genderdoc-M also offers a legal hotline where LGBTQ+ people can discuss hate crimes or threats and can think about possible consequences together with Doina Ioana Straisteanu, she said. There is also no special training for medical students or police officers on important LGBT issues.
Genderdoc-M is the only organization in Moldova that provides information on LGBT issues. Surveys among the population in 2008 and 2016 showed that 85 and 78 percent, respectively, ultimately rejected homosexuality as such. However, a 2022 survey conducted in Chișinău indicated that this number had dropped significantly, with only 33 percent of respondents expressing explicitly negative views about LGBTQ+ people. Support for same-sex marriage in Chișinău rose to 14% in 2022, compared to just 5–6% nationwide in previous years.
While this figure still reflects societal prejudice, it also signals a gradual shift toward more inclusive attitudes in the capital. He said another study showed that one-third of the population believes LGBT people should not exist. “We are very pleased with this figure,” Danilova says, “because compared to previous years, this is an improvement. So, we also believe that in ten years it will look very different.” This is also due, the activist says, to the fact that Moldova’s society is very conservative and traditional, which is often used by politicians. “We try to bring Western values to Moldova, but they are contrary to our traditional family values.”
Furthermore, the church is very involved in local politics, he said. “It even happens that they publicly call for the election of homophobic candidates,” Danilova said.

Teenagers organize events at schools
“Sex education is generally non-existent in many schools in Moldova,” Danilova says, “and information on diversity even more so.” He says there have been attempts to add sex education to the curriculum – even without LGBT references – but this has been impossible to push through in the face of opposition from the church and parents. Genderdoc-M is also working on a program against bullying in schools, though this is not exclusively for LGBT either, the activist says. However, she says, implementation has only been possible for teenagers in the 14-plus age group at secondary schools. At Genderdoc-M, there is a support group for LGBT teens, but this is also an exception because the psychologist in charge has a license for this age group. In general, however, it is not possible to address any LGBT topic in schools because of the Ministry of Education.

LGBTQ+ rights in Moldova 2025: There is hope for the LGBTQ+ community in Moldova
There are exceptions, however. For example, Alexandra Iorga, a student from Chisinau, says, “I am glad that there were special events at my school on tolerance education towards LGBT people. Because my school only goes from 10th to 12th grade, and that’s why we were able to organize everything ourselves, without the ministry or parents saying anything.” She also mentioned meeting a lot of LGBT teens this year, in particular. “I don’t think there has been a generation before with more teens who were outed. That’s why it’s so important to have events like this, and I wish we could get the ministry to include the LGBT issue in school education.” Anastasia Danilova also confirmed this: “I am very impressed by how brave the LGBT teens in Moldova are. They organize their actions in their schools. That’s great.”
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So, as in many countries already considered for Couple of Men, there is hope in Moldova that the successor generations will prove more tolerant and liberal, to which social media and pop culture will certainly contribute their share. Let’s continue the fight for equality and for LGBTQ+ rights in Moldova in 2025.
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Sarah & Karl & Daan.