Saturday 18 July 2009

Is Tories' Euro Group Leader Homophobic?

The Tories are up in arms at claims that Michal Kaminski the leader of their European Conservatives and Reformists grouping in the European Parliament is a homophobe. Timothy Kinthorpe MEP is saying that words said by Kaminiski in 2000 have been taken out of context and that language has changed.

Kaminski is known in Poland as a spin doctor but I'm up for the challenge lets look at the context lets see what the Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (Law and Justice Party) have said and done on the issue.

In September 2005 Jarosław Kaczyński (the then and current party chairman) said:

"homosexuals should not be isolated, however they should not be school teachers for example"


Adding homosexuals "should not be discriminated otherwise." He also stated:

"The affirmation of homosexuality will lead to the downfall of civilization. We can't agree to it."


Why should he say that well the following year when Kaczyński. was leading the Polish parliament the state prosecutor announced an investigation of all gay groups for illegal financing, criminal connections, and pedophilia. Also the Ministry of Justice ordered local prosecution offices to investigate if 'any crimes of a pedophile nature have been committed by homosexual persons' in their respective area.

Looking at that context calling the homosexual community was light feed as the whole lot were being singled out for branding as pedophiles while PiS was in power.

Earlier this month William Hague had waded into the argument saying that the PiS had changed its views on homosexuality to appease the British public only for a Polish PiS MEP, Konrad Szymanski, to refute this for the sake of their own base saying:

"We won’t apologise because there is nothing to apologise for. Of course personally I don't have to agree with [David Cameron]. PiS holds the view that homosexuality should not be promoted in schools.

"From what I know, many British Conservatives don’t agree with him on this either.

"We have already agreed that in these matters we will each keep to our own convictions.

"Law and Justice has a clear stand on this issue – we are against both homosexual marriages and the adoption of children by gays and lesbians. That is how our Euro MEPs will always vote.

"If some Tories happen to have a different view on this, then this grouping will not be voting unanimously on these issue."


I think the fact that the PiS are quick and adamant to not let themselves been seen as quite as gay friendly and the UK Tories want to paint them speaks volumes, and indeed pointing out to similar stances of some Tories. What do you think?

No comments:

Post a Comment