Albanian Church opposes “gender equality” law

Interfaith Council of Albania. Photo: orthochristian.com

On October 10, 2025, the Orthodox Church of Albania, as part of the country’s Interfaith Council, spoke out against the draft law “On the Equality of Men and Women.” In a joint letter addressed to the president, prime minister, and parliament, religious leaders expressed “concern” that the bill imposes alien ideological concepts on society and threatens the foundations of family and human nature.

The appeal, signed by representatives of five Albanian faith communities – Muslim, Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical, and Bektashi – stresses that the proposed legislation “changes the meaning of sex and elevates it to a fully self-determined category, separating the human person from biological reality.”

His Beatitude Archbishop Anastasios and other religious leaders reminded the authorities that human life is “a gift of God,” and any legislative action concerning family and identity “must be taken with great caution and respect for the moral and cultural traditions of the people.”

Particular attention was given to education. According to the letter, the law envisions the teaching of gender topics without regard for the natural right of parents “to raise their children in accordance with their moral convictions and religious faith.” “Teaching minors these concepts at an early age may do more harm than good,” the document states.

The interfaith coalition also condemned the enforcement and sanction mechanisms proposed in the draft, warning that they “could become tools of ideological coercion.” “A law intended to protect a minority but imposing its worldview on the majority risks itself becoming a discriminatory instrument,” the letter notes.

In conclusion, the Interfaith Council called on the authorities to “reconsider the draft law responsibly and in a spirit of social dialogue,” so that it “serves not ideology, but justice, coexistence, and the sustainable development of the human person.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Slovak parliament had amended its Constitution to recognize only two sexes.

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