KOMPOT, sau Cînd oameni sparg tăcerea (1)

Totul a început un an în urmă, cînd teatru-spălătorie l-a adus pe regizorul bucureştean Bogdan Georgescu la Chişinău pentru REZIDENŢĂ CĂLCĂTORIE care a durat o lună. Ţineţi minte ce a fost pe atunci în ţara noastră? Proiectul de lege antidiscriminare a fost rechemat din parlament de către guvern în urma protestelor religioşilor extremişti, care militau pentru excluderea sintagmei „orientarea sexuală” ca criteriu protejat de discriminare din proiectul respectiv, iar politicenii dădeau cu păreri homofobe vizavi de gay şi lesbiene în general.

It's normal in Moldova

When I arrived in Chişinău, I was naturally terrified by the state of the roads and the recklessness of the taxi driver as well as being amazed at the state of the many buildings that had been left to rot and the so-called 'green spaces' that had gone a pale shade of yellow from the dry heat. I remember the taxi driver asking me how far behind I thought Moldova was compared to the UK. My British politeness (and foreigner's fear) caused me to lie and say "Oh, not too far... maybe 10 years!" but as the days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months I found myself realising that saying Moldova was 10 years behind Britain was an understatement: try 40 years.

Allow me to explain. I'm from a country that is regarded as 'tolerant'. Until recently, I took this observation for granted: the fact that being gay isn't an issue; the belief that women have every right to want to have a career before having a family or not having a family at all; the declining importance of marriage; the rising emphasis on individuality... I took all of this for granted until I came here. I had no idea that being a left-wing, liberal, atheist, bisexual, ambitious feminist was regarded as something of an abnormality here as I was so used to not really being noticed in my home town of Edinburgh.