ESTONIA
Homophobic Conservative Outburst Calls for Criminalisation of Gays
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Even holding hands in public would be illegal |
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TALLINN, January 13, 2005 – In an amazing homophobic outburst, the Estonian Convervatives Club and its leader Martin Helme have published a statement today which has shocked the country’s gays. Helme and his group are demanding that “anal sex between men – and public display of one's homosexuality (holding hands, kissing etc) – be criminalized”. In the statement, Conservatives also stress that the “homosexuals have started an attack against the normal families and common values and encourage people to accept something that should not be accepted”. The Conservatives Club asks Estonians to “boycott enterprises and media that justify or propagate homosexual lifestyle”. “Estonian gay-activists are sincerely amazed that such a statement can be freely published in twenty-first century Europe,” commented Lisette Kampus, a leading LGBT activist. “We are anxiously waiting for the comments of the politicians and relevant Ministers and other officials,” she added. In Brussels, ILGA-Europe expressed concern today. “ILGA-Europe is concerned with homophobic statements by some Estonian politicians,” said Juris Lavrikovs, the group’s Information and Communications Officer. “Such statements once again proved that homophobia is still a serious issue in some of the newest EU member states. “ILGA-Europe calls on the Estonian authorities and politicians to respect the European Union’s fundamental principles and values of equality and non-discrimination and instead of fuelling homophobia, address inequalities faced by the Estonian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and provide all Estonians with respect and dignity,” he told UK Gay News SEE ALSO Estonia: First Test of Tolerance and Common European Values in Estonia for Gays. Days before Christmas, the Ministry of Social Affairs in Estonia called for a public debate on same-sex relationships. In many ways, it was a ‘seasonal gift’ to the country’s gay community – but it turned out to be short-lived as Estonia could be heading in the same direction as their Baltic neighbours Latvia and Lithuania. (UK Gay News, January 10, 2006)Estonia: Organisers Upbeat Over Saturday’s Tallin Gay Pride Parade. Organisers of the Gay Pride Parade in Tallin, Estonia, are confident that the event will go ahead as planned on Saturday (August 13), despite the objections of the Estonian Christian People’s Party and the Fatherland Union. (UK Gay News, August 11, 2005) Estonia: Political Parties in Estonia Condemn Tallin Gay Pride. 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. (UK Gay News, August 10, 2005)LINKS
Estonia Gay League website (Estonian
language only) |
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Posted: 13 January 2006 at 14:00 (UK time)