‘Under the blanket’ with Siarhey Kaliakin and Yury Hubarevich
These interviewees are probably the most tolerant of all the politicians, published in ‘Under the blanket’ special project. The Belarusian communist Siarhey Kaliakin believes there are no homosexuals in his party, and the democratic movement leader Yury Hubarevich adopts a human rights defending attitude.
Siarhey Kaliakin, Chairman of the ‘Fair World’ political party:
— What’s your attitude towards homosexuals?
I know nothing about this problem in our country. I’ve never met such people, and I believe that such people can’t be found in our party. I think it’s a sort of a deviation, and these people shouldn’t be persecuted.
— Should they hold gay-parades?
It’s a controversial issue. Propaganda of deviations is abnormal. If they really are persecuted, it’s bad. I understand that there’s evidently a problem. But I still consider it to be a deviation. The humankind develops because there are men and women. Two men can’t have children. But it doesn’t mean such people can be persecuted. It doesn’t mean either, that we should encourage this abnormality and say it’s a norm. The European countries, to my mind, over-exaggerate the issue. Normal people nowadays start feeling they are somehow abnormal. I guess the problem is more of a medical character, not social.
The issue isn’t that spread in Belarusian society. Maybe, it is due to the fact that we don’t tend to discuss and demonstrate it everywhere. If these people have serious problems, they should defend their rights.
Yury Hubarevich, Deputy Chairman of ‘For Freedom’ civil movement:
— How serious is the issue of protecting the rights of sexual minorities in our country?
If a person or a group of people are persecuted on any ground, they can absolutely openly speak up about it. Various means can be employed for this purpose. But if it’s just a kind of a carnival, we must consider the rights and interests of other citizens, too. Anyway, I’ve never heard of a heterosexuals’ parade.
— But do you think they have a problem in our society? Or is it an artificial issue to get some benefits?
I believe that the people of homosexual orientation undoubtedly face certain misunderstanding, difficulties in communication with their relatives, friends, and colleagues. It shouldn’t cause any aggression against them. But I don’t have any particular examples.
