From Oppressed to Oppressor: Romani Chairman of Human Rights Committee Replaced after Spreading Hate Against Romani LGBTQIA+ People in Romania

09 October 2025

By Judit Ignacz

History’s cruel little irony is that sometimes those who have seen, experienced, or known oppression and exclusion end up learning their oppressors’ ways too well and use their positions of power to harm others. This sad, painful, pattern emerged once again before our eyes in Romania recently. Nicolae Păun, the leader of Romania’s Party of the Roma (Partida Romilor) and the man who (until yesterday) held the title of Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, Religious Affairs, and National Minorities in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies, seems to believe that human rights come with a footnote: they apply to everyone…except LGBTQIA+ people.

On Wednesday, 8 October, he was replaced as head of the Human Rights Committee.

Rights Defender or Rights Denier?

Nicolae Păun published a series of social media posts on Facebook (27, 29, 30 Sept 2025) in which he accused several Romani organisations of being “founded and financed by Soros,” to “poison the minds of young Roma,” and urged:“STOP the campaigns promoting homosexuality in Roma communities.”

Apparently, it seems that the greatest threat to Romani youth is not systemic racism, limited access to public services, police brutality, or various human rights violations, but, according to Păun, it is the free expression of diverse sexual orientations and intersecting identities or love between two consenting adults.

If it is not obvious for everyone yet, let’s be clear: people don’t just “become” or “grow” LGBTQIA+ identities by seeing, meeting, or hearing the stories of LGBTQIA+ people. Sexual orientation is not a choice, and identity is not “contagious.” But prejudice is. Prejudice spreads fast, and it is fuelled by hatred, fear of the unknown, ignorance, and the unwillingness to see others as full human beings.

Păun did not stop at casually spreading hatred, he went further and equated homosexuality with “sin” and “Satan”, invited others to join the fight against the so-called campaigns focussed on the “promotion of homosexuality in Romani communities”, called for Soros-funded NGOs to “remain without funds” and declared that he “cannot be obliged to sit at the table” with LGBTQIA+ people or organisations, effectively excluding them from democratic processes. A pretty strange statement from someone whose job description literally involved ensuring equal participation in public life.

Worse still, Păun defended early child marriage as a supposed justification and prevention of homosexuality; a contravention of the Istanbul Convention, requiring EU Member States to criminalise and recognize forced marriage as a form of gender-based violence, particularly when it affects minors. Păun additionally published a pseudo “blacklist” of Romani, human rights, feminist, and LGBTQIA+ organisations and activists, including the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), E-Romnja, Phiren Amenca, the Romani Cultural & Arts Company, ARA ART, the Civic Initiative “Queer Roma”, and the Romani trans woman activist Antonella Lerca Duda.

While displays of loathing are not unexpected from your average, ignorant, and toxically masculine hater, when such rhetoric comes from someone in a professional role to uphold rights, it becomes an abuse of power.  The irony is bitter: a man in a position to defend the rights of minorities instead used his power to spread fear, hatred, and exclusion. His statements and rhetoric go against fundamental human rights and non-discrimination protections, and he deliberately attempted to stigmatise and silence civil society organisations and activists.

Religion as a Weapon for Hatred

Everyone has the right to their religion and personal faith. When an elected official uses religion as a tool to exclude others from public life, that is no longer about belief. It is about exclusion. International human rights standards are clear: no one should be denied the opportunity to participate in society because of their identities or sexual orientation. The European Convention on Human Rights and the EU Charter both affirm equality and non-discrimination as core values. Having a position in the Human Rights Committee means serving all people, not creating hierarchies, power imbalances, or arbitrarily deciding who deserves a seat at the table.

Traditional, conservative, and religious values are often abused to justify and legitimise discrimination against minority groups and violate their human rights, particularly those of LGBTQIA+ people. Through his statements, Păun continues to use religion as a protection and justification for hate and exclusion. This is a oft-used, well-known tactic of twisting faith to make hate sound like morality.

Support and Solidarity from Activists

Romani people have endured centuries of slavery, forced assimilation, systemic racism, and, to this day, ongoing human rights violations and hatred. Nicolae Păun’s words reflect the same structures of exclusion that have simultaneously targeted Romani people. True leadership is not how we treat the powerful, but how we protect the vulnerable. Păun’s words remind us that internalised oppression is a dangerous force that must be confronted with courage and actions in solidarity.

Being a LGBTQIA+ person is not a trend, a Western influence, or a cool thing that is being promoted or followed. It is the natural reality for many young Romani people, who may hide that part of their identities due to the same hateful and judgmental perspective that Nicolae Păun is sharing and spreading. His statement is nothing new, homophobia is unfortunately happening within Romani communities. However, more organisations and activists are refusing to stay silent.

Sharing accurate information about sexual orientation, creating spaces where people can be themselves without fear or shame, building solidarity, and offering support, instead of judgment, division, or hate within Romani communities, are acts of care and courage. When Romani communities provide support instead of silence, they help Romani LGBTQIA+ people feel seen, safe, and valued. These efforts are aimed at protecting dignity and upholding the fundamental human rights and freedoms of expression; freedoms that are guaranteed by both national and international law, something a chair of a human rights committee should already be aware of.

Thankfully, not everyone is fooled by intolerance disguised as faith or religion. Representatives of the MozaiQ Association, an organization defending the rights of sexual minorities, filed the complaint with the National Council for Combating Discrimination (CNCD), considering the MP’s statements “outrageous” and incompatible with his role as President of the Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights, Religious Affairs, and National Minorities. “The position Mr. Păun holds requires him to respect and promote the fundamental rights of all citizens. From this perspective, his statements are incompatible with his mandate as president of the Committee for Human Rights, Religious Affairs, and Issues of National Minorities and contradict democratic principles and international human rights standards to which Romania is committed,” the organisation stated.

Human rights activists, feminists, and Romani organisations have raised their voices, stood firm against hate, and defended those targeted by it. Their outcry urged the Romanian government to condemn and act on the incitement to hatred coming from a public official whose duty is to protect human rights, not undermine them. On Wednesday, 8th October, Nicolae Păun was replaced as head of the Human Rights Committee.

This is precisely why civil society voices are indispensable. By documenting discrimination, challenging hate speech, defending Roma LGBTQIA+ people, and holding people accountable, their work challenges the narratives of hate (both from outside Romani communities and from within them). 
The ERRC’s RoMagic initiative is part of this commitment. It amplifies the stories and resistance of Roma LGBTQIA+ people and their allies across Europe.

As Ana Jovanovic, the ERRC LGBTIQ+ Human Rights Monitor, put it: “This episode reflects the exact reason why it is so important that we created RoMagic in the first place: to show that Roma LGBTQ+ people exist, resist, and deserve safety and love. We will continue to advocate, to create, and to celebrate our lives. I believe that the next generation of Roma youth is more open-minded, respectful, inclusive, and supportive of the rights and dignity of all LGBTQIA+ people in our communities. Our last exhibition just finished yesterday in Brussels, and our next will open in November in Bucharest, and it will do what hate never could: connect our stories, our struggles, and our hopes in solidarity.”

Upcoming RoMagic Exhibitions:

• 7th – 17th November, Manasia Hub, Strada Stelea Spătarul 13, Bucharest
• 9th – 19th December, Dorćol Platz, Dobračina 59, 11000, Belgrade