Belarus President: Better to Be a Dictator Than Gay

[William769]

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko responded to criticism of his authoritarian governing style by saying he would “rather be a dictator than gay,” which appeared to be a thinly veiled reference to gay German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.

Bloomberg reports that Lukashenko made the comment to reporters on Sunday outside Minsk. He seemed to be responding to Westerwelle, who recently called his government the “last dictatorship in Europe” after Belarus recalled its permanent envoy to the European Union and ambassador to Poland in response to heightened EU sanctions. Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice Lukashenko had also criticized Belarus for being a “dictatorship.”

Steffen Seibert, the chief spokesman of the German government, responded to Lukashenko on Monday by saying, “It’s interesting in one sense that Lukashenko should consider himself a dictator, a conclusion the German government reached long ago -- and the Belarusian president provides proof of its accuracy on a daily basis.”

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/05/Belarus_President_Better_to_Be_a_Dictator_Than_Gay/

[William769]

1. Germany hits back at Lukashenko after gay slur

"Unfortunately (Lukaschenko's comment) shows very clearly the position that the Belarussian president takes in relation to basic rights. It's interesting to find out this way that Mr Lukashenko too now classes himself as a dictator," said German government spokesman Steffen Seibert.

"That by the way is a view that the federal government reached some time ago and on which the Belarussian president delivers proof almost daily," he added.

Lukashenko has criticized homosexuality in the past. Last year after opposition protests against his re-election sparked a crisis with the West, he said: "They've started reproaching me for condemning gays. Well, I don't like gays and I have said I don't like gays."

Referring to Westerwelle, he said: "I told him frankly, looking him in the eyes. You ought to lead a normal way of life."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/05/us-germany-belarus-idUSTRE8240YC20120305

[closeupready]

2. Take a survey, and most would rather be German than Belarussian.

nt

[William769]

4. Touche!

[trumad]

3. Better to Be a Dictator Than Gay

Sorry-- that is a laugh out loud comment.