That's not for me to say

Eesti Ekspress is reporting that like his Russian-speaking constituents being anti-foreigner, Tallinn mayor Edgar Savisaar is anti-gay.

Under the headline "Savisaar shows no support for sexual minorities", the independent weekly reveals that the jolly leader of the Centrist Party has declined to join other European mayors - including those of Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Barcelona - in upholding the rights of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transexuals to freedom of speech and public expression.

Sparking controversy is the fact that though personally called upon to address the matter, Savisaar passed the buck on deciding not to support it to his underlings. "What we are dealing with here in an important stance and an issue that is very topical in society today, which is why I am asking the education and culture committee of Tallinn City Council to examine the issue and make their own proposals," Savisaar wrote. They advised him not to sign up.

The nub of the letter addressed to Europe's mayors by sexual minority representatives is the infringement of their rights in post-Communist Eastern Europe: restricting freedom of speech and making it almost impossible to hold demonstrations and public gatherings, with the police failing to provide sufficient security. It also points out that leading politicians in neighbouring countries (but not Estonia itself) have used discriminatory language in reference to sexual minorities.

Sadly, whether or not Itkar acted appropriately in delegating responsibility for weighing up the issue, it was a no-win situation to begin with: someone in his position, from his party, considering its grass roots support, was never going to sign up to anything so taboo, and the fact that the issue remains so in the country means that his inevitable 'no' will only reinforce the image of Estonia as a homophobic nation. Which it perhaps deserves.

http://www.ekspress.ee/2008/03/13/eesti-uudised/1618-savisaar-ei-toeta-seksuaalvahemusi

Tolerance has two faces

This in response to a well-balanced opinion piece by Anu Aaremäe in Eesti Ekspress entitled "Kas kitsarinnalisuse vastu on pilli?" / "Is there something you can take for narrow-mindedness?" (Text in Estonian accompanied by my translation.)

Piip said:

Hetkel eestis valitsev tolerants on näiline - homo olla on OK nii kaua, kui nad sellest ise ei räägi. Ehk ole, aga varja, siis ma sind armastan.

Paraadide mõte on neid arvamusi murda - öelda, et homol on õigus tänaval kõndida ka siis, kui sulle-mulle-teistele ei jäeta illusiooni nende "mitte-homoks" olemisest.

Ja mina näiteks lähen koos nendega kõndima. Sest ka mul, linnakodanikul, on õigus käia tänaval ka siis, kui minu kõrval kõnnib end mittevarjav homo. Sest praegu, kas tead, mul ei ole seda õigust - arvestades möödunud aastal lennanud kive, mune, sõimu. Ja neid kommentaaregi, mis iga sellise artikli alla tulevad.

Mina seisan selle eest, et minu lapsed kasvaks üles teadmises, et võrdsus väärib võitlemist. Vabadusel ei saa olla piiranguid ühe või teise grupi suhtes lihtsalt seetõttu, et sinul isiklikult on neid raske mõista. Alati leidub keegi, kes sind ennast ei mõista - ja ühel päeval, kui homod, venelased, moslemid ja kõik teised vähemusgrupid on maatasa tehtud, jääd sina neile hambu. Mõtle sellele.

Maailm peab olema mitmekesine - ja ei ole nii, et kui ma üht asja ei toeta, peaks kohe vastu olema. Ma ei pea olema homo, et toetada kellegi teise õigust olla homo ilma, et ta pidevalt oma elu ja närvide pärast kartma peaks.

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What tolerance there is in Estonia these days is superficial – it's OK to be gay as long as you don't tell us you are. That is, be gay, but don't show it, and I'll accept you with open arms.

The point of the parade is to break people out of these ways of thinking – to say that a gay person has the right to walk down the street even if the illusion of their 'non-gayness' is shattered for you and me and everyone else.

I for one will be joining the parade. Because I have the right to walk down the street too when someone who is not afraid to show that they are gay is walking beside me. Because at the moment I don't have that right, given the stones and eggs and insults hurled last year. And the comments that are posted under any article that has anything to do with it.

I want my children to grow up in the knowledge that equality is something you should fight for. You can't restrict one or another group's freedom simply because you don't get them. There will always be someone who doesn't understand you – and one day, when all of the gays, and the Russians, and the moslems, and all the other minorities are dead and buried, you'll get yours. Think about it.

The world has to be a diverse place – and if I don't support something, it doesn't mean I'm necessarily against it. I don't have to be gay to support someone else's right to be gay without having to constantly fear for his life and sanity.

I wonder if that's the majority view. I certainly hope it is. You only ever hear the voices that shout loudest, but at least Piip is living proof that there are people in Estonia who perceive individual freedom for what it is and not as a threat.