Human
rights news: April 2005
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26 April 2005 |
:: NEWS :: |
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Dolphin Sports Club sues Sofia University for discrimination based on
sexual orientation
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The University of Sofia has been sentence to pay 1000 Euro damages to four men who were banned from entering the university's sauna on account of their homosexual orientation. The university was also obliged to secure access to the sauna for the plaintiffs, who are members of the Dolphin Sports Club. The case against the Sofia University is the first case for discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation brought before the Sofia District Court under the Protection Against Discrimination Act. It was brought in by the Queer Bulgaria Foundation. The lawsuit claimed that the rights of many people had been violated on account of the discriminatory attitude of the Sofia University to the members of the Dolphin Sports Club. In January 2004 the four men tried to enter the university sauna, but
were banned from doing so. Judge Kaloyan Topalov held that that day the
four men had become victims of discriminatory treatment on account of
their sexual orientation. Queer Bulgaria Foundation claims that the club
members had visited the sauna since the beginning of 2003, none of the
members had even hidden their sexual orientation and had never violated
good morals and the regulation of the sports facility. |