The upcoming referendum depriving homosexuals certain rights initiated by the Alliance for Family (AZR) is attracting the attention also of media abroad, while also causing a bit of a stir at home with its banned TV commercial.
The referendum set for 7 February 2015 and costing millions of euros in taxpayers money is raising questions about the future of human rights in Slovakia, but also elsewhere in Europe, given a recent victory in Croatia on similar issues, and Hungary passing stricter laws to protect family.
The three questions posed by the referendum, deemed constitutional by the Slovak Constitutional Court, are as follows – whether same sex couples should be prohibited from adopting and bringing up kids, whether marriage should be exclusively a union of one man and one woman, and whether parents should be able to prevent their children from taking part in lessons on sexual behaviour and euthanasia in schools.
Meanwhile, a promotional commercial from AZR was rejected by all the TV stations, which basically caused a leak on social networks at least. The clip shows a foster family about to hand over an adopted kid to his new parents, a gay couple, with the child asking ‘where’s mum’?’, followed by the motto “kids are clear about it”.
The LGBT community in Slovakia is calling on people not to even go to vote No as the higher the turnout, the more chance there is that the referendum will be valid as 50% of eligible voters is required. Even with their 400,000 signatories to the referendum petition, there is probably only a small chance half of the electorate will turn up, especially given Slovakia’s miserable referendum turnout stats to date. Even so, the ARZ will be sure to claim a moral victory as most of the votes that are cast will be in favour of its own objectives.
So you are asking people to vote one way or another?Having a recorded vote that goes where?Sounds like freedom doesn’t live there.
“Slovakia’s Upcoming Referendum On Gay Rights Is Being Used to Obscure Other Social and Economic Problems
For the government of Prime Minister [Robert] Fico (right), the controversy is a welcome — though temporary — distraction from some very real problems facing Slovakia. While its transition from Communism was a success, the country is still plagued by rampant corruption, chronic unemployment — exceeding 30 percent in some regions — and by the intergenerational poverty of the sizeable Roma population.
The country has also seen a geopolitical shift following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Mr. Fico becoming one of the Kremlin’s leading apologists. Unsurprisingly, Slovakia’s anti-gay activists have a soft spot for Vladimir Putin, too. Former Prime Minister Jan Carnogursky, a former Catholic dissident and an outspoken supporter of the referendum, noted recently that “in Russia, one would not even have to campaign for this — over there, the protection of traditional Christian values is an integral part of government policy” and warned against the “gender ideology” exported from the United States. […]
It seems unlikely that Slovak traditionalists will ultimately be on the winning side of this argument. In the meantime, the mean-spirited campaigning and frequent disparaging remarks about gays and their “condition” are a poor substitute for serious policy discussions and are making the country a much less pleasant place, and not just for its gay population.”
So as a member of ARZ, you can shag someone elses wife/husband/sheep and all in the name of “the Family” . Oh and the odd Priest can molest a child or one of the seated church ?? I just wonder what these Bible basher are scared of ?
Does this place still live in the 1930 s ?
1300’s George.
Burnings in the town square next?
Wont hold my breath for this one, what a waist of money…..