SCPD: Bishop Jakov Offended LGBTQI+ People and Should Apologise

The State Commission for Prevention of Discrimination (SCPD) informed that after acting
upon a complaint filed by the Margini Alliance, they concluded that Bishop of Stobi Jakov
from the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC) promoted opinions and positions which
offend and degrade the people from the LGBTQI+ community in North Macedonia, during a
public debate in Strumica over the law-changes that would allow legal recognition of gender,
and during a similar debate for the Detektor talk show on Sitel. SCPD called upon the bishop
to issue a formal apology to the LGBTQI+ community in the following 30 days, and that if
he does not do so, they will have to initiate a misdemeanour process against him. Bishop
Jakov issued a reaction, in which he finds the allegations against him as unsupported, added
that he does not intend to apologise, and encouraged SCPD to initiate all legal procedures
against him.