There's some unsurprising trouble brewing in Latvia.
Roman Catholic Cardinal Jânis Pujâts and 26 priests penned a letter demanding the government cancel this weekend's gay pride event. Rather than focusing on the sin of gay ways, the pious busy-bodies are taking a constitutional argument, claiming that the government has a duty to "protect the rights of other people, a democratic system of state, the safety of society, and welfare and morals.â€
The homos, they say, are making an erroneous argument for minority status:
A minority is made up of those who are different from the majority of people because of nationality, language, race, skin color and other neutral characterizations, but not of moral evaluation,†the letter continues.That means that there can be no minority of alcoholics, homosexuals, drug addicts or any other people if the minority is based on immoral inclinations. Otherwise this would be direct promotion of immorality.
Members of European Parliament aren't amused by these antics and MEP Michael Cashman, who is gay, wrote a scathing review of Pujâts and company:
The signatories to the letter show a blatant disregard for human rights as expressed in the European Convention of Human Rights. They also show an appalling and worrying ignorance of EU treaties and legislation. They should not interfere in a democratic state which abides by the rule of law.
For it's part, the Latvian government already agreed to let gays gather in the nation's capital, Riga, but must remain within a strictly defined area.
Remember when we called out the European Union for not doing enough to ensure gay rights in member countries? Well, Latvia's a perfect example.
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Is 'pujats' the Latvian for 'dickhead'?
Queerty team, in future, instead of "Roman Catholic Cardinal", could you use the more informative phrase, "prominent member of an interntionl pedophile organization"?
Well Pujats has always been loud mouth. In previous letters he announced that homosexuality is from of prostitution. He is not the only problem, her in Latvia, head of one of human right offices is homophobe.
Replay to Andy:
in Latvian Pujats, has no meaning. Of course if you remove first two letters you get jats. With can be translated as "fucked up".
It's interesting how the Church plays this thing. They say that homosexuality is not an immoral inclination in itself in some places, but because they're so tentative saying anything positive about gays, they leave the door wide open for such garbage attitudes and statements.
What a pretty little town. I can't wait for the gays to take it over.
I don't think even mainstream Vatican thought considers gayness, much less alcohol and drug addiction, "moral" disorders these days.
"A minority is made up of those who are different from the majority of people because of nationality, language, race, skin color and other neutral characterizations, but not of moral evaluation,â€
So why have protections for freedom of religion? It certainly could not be defined as a "neutral characteration."
"but must remain within a strictly defined area."- like sheep.
When is the EU going to get its act together in dealing with these russian influenced countries like Latvia and other ex-soviet satellites?
Then again there seems to be a lack of good judgement over there these days when they are even considering membership for Turkey.