I accuse Tritan Shehu!

By: Kristi Pinderi *

Mr. Tritan Shehu, vice chairman of the Parliamentary Commis-sion for Social Issues and Health stated during a hearing session on December 1st that “homosexuality should be cured with hormonal treatment and psychological consults”.

I accuse Mr. Shehu that through such offensive and denigrating statements he discourages and discriminates an entire popula-tion and for this reasons he should give explanations and ask for public apology.

I feel ashamed, that as an activ-ist for human rights, I have to accuse not just a simple unin-formed citizen but a well known and respected doctor, as well as a professional politi-cian like Tritan Shehu is!

How is it possible that a person with political and public attribution like Shehu still doesn’t know or refuse to accept that treating with medical cure LGBT people is nothing but a crime a crime! This is what several parents in panic have done with their children: obligating them to have hormonal treatments by unethical and unprofessional doctors! During ’60 in USA thousands of homosexuals were killed while went through the monstrous practice of Lobotomia! The doctors put a lethal object inside the brain of homosexuals while taking out part of their brains, believing that they were “killing” and curing them from their homosexuality! In fact, they were just killing patients themselves! In the framework of this mentality was also invented the “hormonal treatment” for homosexuality, but that failed and after it, the International Organization of Health decided to delete homosexuality from the list of illness. How is it possible that a doctor like Mr. Shehu does not know these facts? 

I accuse Mr Shehu for being homophobic and I remind him that homophobia itself might be a psychological problem which should be treated and cured! 

I also accuse Mr. Tritan Shehu, who against the directives of the parliamentary group to which he belongs, on February of this year he made all efforts to stop the approval of the Anti Discrimination Law, a law which can be considered a very positive step for Albania. Mr. Tritan Shehu tried to delete from the context of this law the establishment of the Institution of the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination. He intended to make the law non functional. The same day Mr. Sali Berisha, the Prime Minister, stopped these attempts and he invited the Parliament to approve the present law! 

I accuse Mr. Shehu that he has violated the Anti Discrimination Law and he should face with this accusation in front of the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination, which was established after the approval of the same law that he was reluctant to approve! According to the article 7 of this Law, Mr Tritan Shehu should be considered guilty for inspiring discrimination. He can have his own opinion but he can’t express discrimination from the stage of the Parliament! 

I accuse Mr. Shehu that through such statements he has misinformed the population and he has discouraged thousands of parents of homosexuals in Albania who might be now in panic and afraid for the future of their own children in a society that still socially criminalizes and isolates them. 

I also accuse Mr. Shehu that with such statements he is directly affecting the European Integration of Albania. 

* Director of the LGBT PRO Albania and Pink Embassy Ambassador