Cameron’s Lithuanian ally: Children need protection from ‘evil’ of homosexuality
4:32 pm - November 5th 2009
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Last month on Liberal Conspiracy I exposed how the Conservatives have allied themselves in the European Parliament with Valdemar Tomasevski, a Lithuanian MEP who has described homosexuality as a ‘perversion‘, and who voted in his national parliament earlier this year for a draconian new law banning public discussion of homosexuality.
Today, on Left Foot Forward, Will Straw publishes striking new evidence of Tomasevski’s homophobia:
David Cameron’s Lithuanian partner has revealed his homophobic views in an email to Left Foot Forward. Valdemar Tomasevski MEP – leader of the ‘Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania’ and a member of David Cameron’s alliance of far right Europeans – describes homosexuality as an “evil” from which children should be protected and says “we cannot allow these people to claim … that homosexuality is normal.”
Tomasevski’s anti-gay beliefs were set out in an email to Straw after Left Foot Forward requested an English translation of a Lithuanian interview appearing on the MEP’s website. The email, which also describes Tomasevski’s opposition to almost all abortions, says:
“I accept existence of homosexuals – we are tolerant state. But homosexuality is also a very good example of the wrong understanding of tolerance. We have to respect every human being, including those who experience sexual attraction to the same-sex.
But we cannot allow these people to claim and explain even to children at kindergarten that homosexuality is normal and encourage people to become homosexuals. Those who talk about tolerance should understand that and respect the constitutional right to protecting children from evil.”
The so-called ‘Law on the Protection of Minors’ supported by Tomasevski does far more than merely prohibit teachers from giving information about homosexuality to kindergarten-age children; it bans discussion of homosexuality in any media that could be accessed by minors. According to Amnesty International this law ‘deprives young people of their right to freedom of expression and access to information and risks isolating children who are already amongst the most at risk of violence at school or within the family.’
In September, the European Parliament passed a resolution criticising the law, and pointing out its incompatibility with European Convention on Human Rights; one that -as I have previously noted – Conservative MEPs refused to support.
Straw’s new findings certainly reinforce the need to ensure that the Conservatives are pressed for answers to these questions, which I asked on LibCon earlier this week:
* Why did Conservative MEPs, unlike their Labour and Lib Dem counterparts, refuse to support a European Parliamentary resolution, in September of this year, criticising Lithuania for its passing of a law that has been condemned by human rights watchdogs as an abuse of LGBT and young people’s human rights?
* What assurances can the Conservatives provide that their decision not to support the resolution criticising Lithuania was not in any way influenced by their alliance with Lithuanian MEP Valdemar Tomasevski, who is a supporter of the law in question?
* What assurances can the Conservatives give that their positions on homosexuality, and a raft of other human rights issues arising at the European level, will not in future be decided, in whole or in part, by considerations of loyalty to their socially illiberal new allies in the European Conservatives and Reformists group?
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This is a guest post. Soho Politico blogs here.
· Other posts by Soho Politico
Story Filed Under: Blog ,Civil liberties ,Conservative Party ,Equality ,Europe
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Reader comments
I think I’ll wait for a translation from a reliable source, if it’s okay with you.
Cameron is going to make the UK, the joke of Europe.
@ 1: Is Tomasevski himself not a reliable source, then? The email to Straw was from his office.
Isn’t this just a waste of time argument? I’ve never lived in a communist country but you can be sure I know Catholics. And in every other nation in Europe except Blighty they were all Catholic – except Scandanavians to some degree. Is it not understandable for a people, recently free from the oppression of the state to harbour contentment from the teachings of their church? We can not export British and Church of England teachings simply because we wanna trade with them, be in some bollox administrative union with them.
Doesn’t this wreak of faux- outraged vanity?
Is this an all or nothing package.?
Can one politely decline the offer of teaching the concepts of homosexuality to children at kindergardern level and minors,while perhaps being more tolerant within other areas.?
Will the state not take into consideration the wishes of the parents.?
Of course,social demonisation and persecution of homosexuals is another matter and should be considered in a different context than introducing these concepts to very young people.
All or nothing?
If this was a left wing political party making a european alliance with an Islam influenced political party then every right wing person who has defended the tories on here would not only be going apeshit on here, but demanding prosecution of the party for treason. Some of the less law abiding ones would be sending death threats as well….
As usual its one rule for them…another for us.
If this was a left wing political party making a European alliance with an Islam influenced political party then anyone who criticised them here would be accused of whataboutary and/or shilling for the Tories.
So yes, as usual its one rule for them…another for us.
shatterface your hypocrisy knows no bounds
‘shatterface your hypocrisy knows no bounds’
In what way is what I said hypocritical?
Seriously – what does that word mean in your head?
I’m critical of homophobia from both sides, I’m just not a Labour party sock puppet who sees homophobia only in Tory allies.
Still, keep up the smears. I’m sure the next election will be fought on what fuckwits think in Lithuania, not illegal wars, civil liberties and the economy.
I’m sure the next election will be fought on what fuckwits think in Lithuania, not illegal wars, civil liberties and the economy
Oh that’s right – we shouldn’t judge the Tories by the close allies they keep. In fact, we shouldn’t have anything on this blog that doesn’t closely follow the editorial agenda that you want! Who cares if others want to write about other stuff eh? If you and the other Tories don’t think its important, then just come here deliberately so you can yawn at people. Pathetic.
Anyway, thanks for highlighting this SohoP, and well done to Will Straw for chasing it up.
I’m sorry but the European Conservatives and Reformists Group is a motley collection of political parties, with the Tories possibly being (gulp) the best with regards to human rights issues.
Lijst Dedecker is a Flanders separatists movement with some very naive free-market economic policies.
Civic Democratic Party and the Hungarian Democratic Forum, are Tory party mini-me’s with some Latvian far-right nationalists thrown in for good measure in the form of For Fatherland and Freedom. Oh and don’t forget the ChristianUnion in Holland who base their polices directly on the Bible.
Add in the these chaps and the Law and Order Party and it’s a real car crash…
Sunny, when was the last time you posted something which wasn’t a smear?
Compare your posts with Conor, Unity, Cath Elliott, Dave Osler and the rest, or Rumbold on Pickled Politics, and you’ll see what I mean.
It’s all unsubstantiated smears, guilt by association, flame wars with other bloggers and ad homs.
I missed out Lee Griffin in my list of excellent contributors (though he hasn’t written much lately). Debi Linton dropped out a while back over the partisan nature of some of the articles, which was a shame.
Sunder is rather good too.
So some anonymous troll doesn’t like my articles or blogging. No skin off my back. But please don’t pretend you’re some sort of a purist given this post wasn’t by me, and your only argument was to try and pretend it’s not as important as you think other issues are. Tell you what: get a blog and write about the stuff you think is important. Stop trolling on other blogs telling people what to write about. I don’t really give a stuff.
‘So some anonymous troll doesn’t like my articles or blogging’
Well, Peter Tatchell you ain’t.
I was responding to Planeshift and you chose to attack me for ‘hypocrisy’ – remember? Still, don’t let me deprive you of your sense of victimhood.
You haven’t answered my question about ‘hypocrisy’. You’ve also repeatedly called me a Tory, so please let me know when I’ve criticised New Labour or their stooges from the Right (a difficult task, I’ll admit).
And can we expect you to criticise other anonymous posters like, say, Planeshift, journeyman, Dick the Prick or Soho Politico, the author of the article above?
(Now what’s that word when you criticise someone for something but don’t hold others to the same standards? Hyp-something? It’s on the tip of my tongue…)
I was responding to Planeshift and
Getting rather bored of responding to a troll who rarely makes intelligent comments shatrterface, but I’m not the one with the sense of victimhood here. You’re the one who’s been trying to tell us repeatedly this issue isn’t important or we spent too much time attacking the Tories yada yada. If you don’t like it – fuck off. Or don’t read it. But don’t pretend your pattern of behaviour is only limited to this thread.
so please let me know when I’ve criticised New Labour or their stooges from the Right
All you do these days on LC is defend the Tories, like above. Or post off-topic comments that are sniping etc. In fact I can’t remember anything intelligent you’ve written here, or on my blog where you repeatedly turn up just to troll. Is that your point in life? Do something more useful with it yeah?
Why should I criticise others? At least they (incl Soho Politico) have written something worthwhile. Everytime we post on the issue you bleat that we should stop attacking the Tories or something along the lines. It’s getting rather pathetic. We have a comments policy – stick to it.
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
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Nicholas Stewart
#LiberalConspiracy Cameron’s Lithuanian ally: Children need protection from ‘evil’ of homosexuality http://tinyurl.com/yfcb5sc
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Nicholas Stewart
#LiberalConspiracy Cameron’s Lithuanian ally: Children need protection from ‘evil’ of homosexuality http://tinyurl.com/yfcb5sc
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Nicholas Stewart
#LiberalConspiracy Cameron’s Lithuanian ally: Children need protection from ‘evil’ of homosexuality http://tinyurl.com/yfcb5sc
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marcus brown
@conservatives Mr C if you want my vote you will have to sort this http://bit.ly/25FUz9 The last time you lost it with section28
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Simon Arnold
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