The Criterion Association was a cultural group that held conferences, symposia, artistic events, and exhibitions in Bucharest, Romania, from 1932 to 1934.
[1] The association was founded by philosopher, critic, and cultural innovator Petru Comarnescu after he returned from completing his PhD at the University of Southern California.
Criterion also had a robust female membership, including dancer and choreographer Floria Capsali, and actress and director Marietta Sadova.
Initially the association was a safe space for members of all political leanings and their activity was perceived as a subversive threat to the Romanian constitutional monarchy.
The scandal involved the Credința ultra-conservative Romanian Orthodox tabloid newspaper, which executed a ruthless campaign to ruin Comarnescu’s (and other members of Criterion) reputations, accusing them of homosexuality.