Name Calling and Mixed Emotions for Prague Pride
just days away, there is lots of name calling, finger pointing and mixed emotions in Czech Republic!
The president of the Czech Republic has publicly backed comments made by an office deputy in opposition to Prague’s upcoming pride event.
In a recent interview, Deputy Chancellor Petr Hajek referred to the capital city’s gay pride parade as “a political demonstration ... of a world in which sexual or any other deviation becomes virtue” and called on Prague mayor Bohuslav Svoboda, who has supported the event, to leave the ruling conservative Civic Democratic Party.
“I resolutely reject the demands voiced by the CSSD and the VV that I distance myself from the statements by Petr Hajek that he made in connection with Mayor Svoboda’s patronage of the Prague Pride event,” Klaus said in a statement released on his website.
“Though the statements were not mine and I would probably choose slightly different words,” he said, “I do not feel any pride in the event either.”
So I guess Prague does not want gay money?? This could severely hurt Prague tourism.
Klaus blasted 13 western diplomats on Monday for their petition in support of a gay pride festival in the Czech capital, and refused to distance himself from a deputy who linked homosexuality to sexual deviation.
The petition, which was backed by Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the U.S., expressed “solidarity with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in the Czech Republic, supporting their right to use the occasion to march together peacefully and lawfully, in order to raise awareness of the specific issues that affect them. Everyone, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people should be free to enjoy the rights and freedoms to which people of all nations are entitled,” the joint statement said.
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