Sixteen Croatian LGBTIQ+ organisations distanced themselves on Monday from the LGBT Election Compass published by the Zagreb Pride association because it referred to ten male candidates and one woman running in the parliamentary election as LGBTIQ+ persons, allegedly without their consent.

“Such an action has caused great outrage both in the community itself and among its allies and has sparked a debate on the right to privacy and personal autonomy,” the associations said in a joint statement.

“Initiatives such as the LGBT Election Compass have missed the opportunity to provide useful information for an informed vote and have reduced the whole process to a superficial and very shallow online campaign. Such actions not only undermine the integrity of our community, but also limit the ability of its members to make informed decisions that will affect their future in the years to come,” they added.

The associations pointed out that forced identity disclosure is not only an invasion of privacy, but also a profound ethical issue with serious consequences that can permanently damage an individual’s mental health, destabilise family relationships and threaten personal safety.

Forced outing is only justified in rare cases and must be carefully weighed up, according to the associations.