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Political Parties in Estonia Condemn Tallin Gay Pride

 

 

 

  
 

 

LONDON, August 10 (from ILGA-Europe reports)  –  Two political parties in Estonian have condemned the Tallin Pride Parade which is due to be staged on Saturday (August 13).  The parade, the second to be staged in the Estonian capital, has been officially sanctioned by the Tallin City Council and Mayor Tonis Paltsile.

Yesterday, the Estonian news internet portal Delfi reported that Estonian Christian People’s Party had condemned the Gay Pride March.  The party does not think that the capital’s streets are the best place to advertise ‘sexual life’.

Less than 24 hours later, the leaders of Fatherland Union (Isamaaliit) in the Tallinn district were reported by Delfi as saying that the “propaganda of homosexuality deserves condemnation”.

The Fatherland Union said that promotion of family values should be a conscious policy in the modern society.  The party also expressed their opposition towards legalisation of same-sex marriage in Estonia.

Leadership of the Fatherland Union in the Tallinn district regard that the Gay Pride March, allowed by the Tallinn City Council and taking place this Saturday, will “become yet another step towards homosexual propaganda among the youth”.

The party also stated that in a situation when one of the main problems of Estonia is low birth rate and high break down of families, political forces need to unite their efforts and to promote the importance of family values.

Yesterday, Aldo Vinkel, chairperson of the Estonian Christian People’s Party, said the party regrets that Mayor Paltsile was allowing the Gay Pride to take place.

Vinkel also said that the aim of this event is to promote homosexual life style and the target group is the youth which does not have a clear self-identity.

“Christian People’s Party regards the decision to allow Gay Pride March as irresponsible since the streets of the city are not the place to advertise sexual life,” Vinkel said.

“Taking into account these arguments, the Party calls to ban the Pride March,” he added.

■  Estonia has been a member of the European Union since May 2004.

LINKS

Tallin Gay Pride website (in Estonian and Russian only)

!0 August 2005