WARSAW - Poland’s conservative government took its drive to curb what it sees as homosexual propaganda to the small screen on Monday, taking aim at Tinky Winky and the other Teletubbies. Ewa Sowinska, government-appointed children rights watchdog, told a local magazine published on Monday she was concerned the popular BBC children’s show promoted homosexuality. She said she would ask psychologists to advise if this was the case.
Sadly, it would seem that while Jerry Falwell may be dead, his influence, his ignorance, and his pervasive hatred lives on. Yes, it appears that those who have no ideas or positive contributions of their own to add are now trying to feather their caps by engaging in an age-old tactic: actively promoting hatred of a class of people who they themselves despise. In another generation, it was Jews that were targeted. Today, it’s homosexuals- a group that by and large wants only to be left alone to live their lives with the same dignity and rights accorded to other human beings.
I’ll own up to not even beginning to understand why some homophobes seem to think that the Teletubbies are a veiled threat to the moral fiber of our impressionable children. We’re talking about a children’s show…and not even a particularly good one at that. Hate the Teletubbies because they’re stupid, or because they’re incapable of speaking in complete sentences. or even because of their abysmal fashion sense. Jeebus, people, it’s a horrible, pointless, mind-numbing stupid show…but anyone who thinks that the Teletubbies are actively recruiting on behalf of homosexual storm troopers and their licentious, lascivious agenda really ought to pull their anterior from their posterior posthaste. Get a life….
In comments reminiscent of criticism by the late U.S. evangelist Jerry Falwell, she was quoted as saying: “I noticed (Tinky Winky) has a lady’s purse, but I didn’t realize he’s a boy.”
“At first I thought the purse would be a burden for this Teletubby … Later I learned that this may have a homosexual undertone.”
Poland’s rightist government has upset human rights groups and drawn criticism within the European Union by apparent discrimination against homosexuals.
Polish Education Minister Roman Giertych has proposed laws sacking teachers who promote “homosexual lifestyle” and banning “homo-agitation” in schools.
Call it “No Child (gets anything) Left (in their) Behind,” an attempt by Polish politicians so overpowered by their hatred and ignorance that they’re willing to see themselves (deservedly) turned into an international laughing stock. I’m not advocating that schools or teachers anywhere promote the “homosexual lifestyle”…or any other lifestyle. The job of educators should be to teach children the skills they’ll need to be productive, successful members of society. (And just what in the Hell IS the “homosexual lifestyle”, anyway??).
Are Polish politicians so willing to teach their children to hate those who happen to be different that they’re willing to use classroom time for this sort of indoctrination? Not so very long ago, this very thing was done by the Nazis…and if memory serves, that didn’t end particularly well.
If nothing else, I suppose this goes to show that American religious zealots aren’t the only ones willing to actively use their religious faith as a cudgel to force their narrow prejudices and hatred upon those who choose to take a different path. Let’s get something straight once and for all, shall we? Homosexuals aren’t “recruiting”. There is no such thing as the “homosexual agenda”, not in the epithetical sense the haters use it. The “homosexual agenda” is no different from the “Republican agenda,” the “Polish agenda,” or the “Catholic agenda.” Any interest group has things they would like to see implemented as policy to make themselves and those who think as they do feel more comfortable. There’s nothing inherently sinister about this…unless a conscious decision is made to attempt to oppress and suppress a specific class of people.
Jeebus, can’t we all just get along??
