CZECKING FROM ABROAD

Are TU leaders entitled to attack homosexuals?

8. 3. 2010 / Fabiano Golgo

Context: Trade union leader Jaromír Dušek dropped a bom at the Czech political scene after telling a newspaper that the transport sector is run by a clique of homosexuals, who supposedly have a tight grip on decision-making and sexually-equals in the government. He refused to apologize for the remarks despite coming under severe criticism, including from Prime Minister Jan Fischer.

Question of the day: "What do you think of the Trade Union Boss' remarks about homosexuals?"

◄ Pavel Musil, 28, works for an IT company in Vancouver - "if this had happened here, this guy would be out [of his job] in less than an hour. What is odd, though, is for someone to say something homophobic in our country, where there is so little discrimination against gays."

► Bara Máchalová, 27, waitress in Melbourne: "what a Neanderthal! I am still amazed how such dinosaurs survived the change of regime. When I see the picture of this guy and his tie, his suit, his hairdo... it all screams communism! Like vegetables in the former regime: pickled conserves! Isn't there some law against this type of insults against humans?"

◄ Libor Pařík, 33, NGO activist in Paris: "if he had said that here he would be in jail! For inciting discrimination. It takes a strong and participative society for ANY hate-speech to be punished, though, and ours is not like that at all. But I don't believe Czechs are hatemongers or anti-homosexuals, actually we are one of the most tolerant in the world. We are not like the Poles..."

► Magda Králíková, 32, advertiser in Belgrade: "Horrible, what to say? We have the leaders we deserve, they are the reflection of our lack of presence in public discourse. We were the lab rats for a group of people following Russian ignorants, now we are ignorants following ourselves."

◄ Martin Šábach, 29, graphic designer in Cape Town: "One thing is to argue against gay marriage or adoption, this happens here often, but to talk about some conspiracy of homosexuals in such a heterosexual environment as the transportation field is very Czech, it has all to do with our humor. It has to be a joke, isn't it?"

CZECKING FROM ABROAD
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