Brazilian President calls homophobia a "perverse disease"
Homophobia: "the most perverse disease impregnated in the human head."
By Sophie Picheta
"The president of Brazil has become the first nation leader to launch a conference with the sole purpose of promoting gay equality.
The First National Conference of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals was inaugurated by president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who called for a "time of reparation" in Brazil.
At last week's conference President Lula announced his support for gay rights, and stated he will "do all that is possible so that the criminalisation of homophobia and the civil union may be approved."
He also called homophobia "the most perverse disease impregnated in the human head."
Toni Reis, president of the Brazilian Association of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals, advocated a gay statute.
This would codify in law specific rights that Brazil's legal framework could not prejudicially deny to LGBT citizens.
The conference, which was called an important historic event in the history of Brazil, coincides with the news of a gay Brazilian army sergeant who was recently arrested, reportedly for desertion.
He had given a series of media interviews about his sexuality before he was detained.
Homosexuality has been legal in Brazil since 1823, except in the armed forces, and civil unions are allowed in some areas.
However, homophobia and gay-bashing remain significant problems in the country of 184 million people."
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-7922.html
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9 comments:
Hi Leonardo--Perhaps these last two posts should be emailed to ++Rowan Williams with an invitation to step into the real world.
Good idea, Bonnie. If only ++Rowan could speak from his beliefs, his conscience, his heart.
He could learn a lot from President Lula, who is wonderful! The things he says are so sane, his eyes show kindness, and you can see his dimples through his beard when he smiles. I wish I could spend time with this lovely man.
Archbishop Rowan appears to want to save the very bashers who are bashing LGBT Christians/others and bashing him and The Anglican Communion. ++Rowans "turn of the other cheek" would be admirable if he didn't offer up millions of innocent victims of abuse, violence and injustice by religious/extremists, fundamentalists/ righteous "thugs" for the SACRIFICE..the sacrifice he thinks he must make to silence a handful of ignorant Bishops at The Global South who preach fear and hate to the masses and are unable to CLEAN UP their own culturally corrupt/bloody affairs.
Hi Leonardo and fs--I read a quote somewhere recently that said (paraphrasing) a real leader is someone who is in touch with the common man. I second that. President Lula seems to be such a man.
++Rowan Williams on the other hand seems to need a reality check on every level.
His support of the MDG goals, parading the bishops through London like trained monkeys, made me want to hurl. Rolling up their shirt sleeves and wading in on some worthy project, as our bishops did for the Katrina victims would have shown better support for those goals.
His little "recreational Dostoevsky" pursuit made me want to hurl. A little recreational pursuit of some statistics on how many primates and bishops live in countries where the norm is poverty, fear, injustice, hunger and oppression might be useful information for him to know.
His academic interest in Sharia Law made me want to hurl. One of his own bishops, Nazgul-Ali, spends way too much time trashing Muslims. Wading into what Nazgul refers to as the "no zones" and actually talking to some Muslims and sharing their stories might be a good exercise in leadership and serve them better than his academic interest in Sharia law.
And lastly, his attitude toward people who discriminate, demean, demoralize, and condone killing any member of the human race makes me want to hurl. A breath of fresh air would be if he had the balls to stand up to these people.
He is just tooooo precious for words. We need to cut him and the AC loose and the sooner the better.
OK. Sorry. I went off on such a rant I forgot to say:
The differences between Lula Land and LaLa Land.
Obrigado Lula!
(BTW have you seen this post?
Bonnie, what rant? I'm right there with you (including the getting sick/barf part)...how grandstanding idiots expect emotionally healthy Christian human beings to sit quietly and accept muddled religious drivel is beyond me...there is NO prioritizing of ministry when one marches down the streets of London to STOP MALARIA DEATHS and then sets out a little "check off" list of "off limit/naughty" demoralizing "unmentionables" for us to avoid...is he nuts completely or simply lacking in good common, and God given, sense?...as the ABC turns his back on CRIMES OF VIOLENCE/HATE (such as in Liverpool during The Lambeth Conference) and Nigerian/Ugandan excluding at The Anglican Communion we're supposed to use good, measured taste in regard to LOVING ONE ANOTHER at The Body of Christ? I don't even want to be in the same WORLD with some of these thugs, yet, I'll certainly take Communion with they anytime/anywhere!
Thanks Fran, very POWERFUL! Yes, I'm afraid it's that bad...and yes, I think that LGBT Christians/Muslims and others are being scapegoated in Africa...better to beat us to death and let the others just die naturally...it's a whirlwind of madness generated by bigoted bigwinded blowhards who kill in the name of God and their demented egos.
Wow, Fran. Excellent commentary, powerful indeed. Someone should send that to ++Rowan and all the archbishops.
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