Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 12:50:28 +0200 (MSZ) From: Bj|rn Skolander As I reported yesterday MP Andreas Carlgren, 2nd vice-chairman of the Center Party will come out in a TV-progamme tonight (TV1 8.00 pm). Mr Carlgren is not the first out Swedish MP (the first one was late MP Kenneth Carlsson from the Social Democratic party), but he is certainly the first top-politician to do so. He is often mentioned as a successor to Olof Johansson, the present chairman of the Center Party. And as party leader he is also a possible future prime minister. His decision to come out is bisexual and to talk about his same-sex relation has probably put an end to this development. One of the Swedish news programmes had yesterday interviewed a number of Center politicians to get their reactions to Carlgren's public come out announcement. Some party members stated that Carlgren's sexuality had nothing to with politics. But a number of Center politicians said that Mr. Carlgren after this no more could be concidered as a future Center party leader. "In Sweden we have our laws regarding homosexuality, but abroad homosexuality is not that accepted - and he could therefor never be elected prime minister." This opinion is also reflected in a pro-gay edotorial in today's Aftonbladet, which has the headline "You will never become party leader, Carlgren - unfortunately." The editor Rold Alsing writes in his article that "there are forces within the Center party who want to put an end to his career, and they have not hesitated to refer to his sexual identity as an argument against him in the fight for power." And Alsing continues: "That the Christian Democrats and the Center party should support a fag as party leader appears to be out of the question." He believes that at present only the Socialist party (Vaensterpartiet) and the Greens (Miljoepartiet) are ready to accept an out gay man or lesbian in the party leadership. "In the foreseeable future Andreas Carlgren will probably stand alone as out homosexual at the top-level of Swedish politics. I would like to believe I'm wrong." Are the final words in Alsing's editorial in today's Aftonbladet. SUPPORT ACTION FOR MR CARLGREN: ******************************* A member of a group of gay and lesbian members of the Center party has pleaded for support letters to Mr Carlgren. He states that Andreas Carlgren in this difficult period of his life may need support from the gay and lesbian community, to cope with the silence he might meet from his own party. I regard it as very courageous of Mr. Carlgren to come out as a member of the Center party. When the Swedish partnership law was discussed in parliament 20 of the Center MPs voted against the proposal and only 4 MPs supported it. By deciding to come out he has probably said goodbye to a otherwise promising career within the party. His decision surely secures him a significant position within the history of Swedish politics as well as within Swedish gay, bi and lesbian history. I have therefor decided to give other euro-queers the chance to take part in this support action for Mr. Carlgren. You can do so in two ways: 1. E-mail your support letter to me, and I will fax it to Mr. Carlgren at the Center party office at the parliament. Address your letter to: MP Andreas Carlgren, The Center Party. Include your name and at least the country you are writing from. You can choose to write in any language you feel comfortable with. He can easily understand letters in English, German and French - and he might appreciate letters in other languages as well. 2. If you prefer to fax to Mr. Carlgren directly the faxnumber to the Center party is: 08 - 10 84 69 (int. +46 - 8 - 10 84 69). Bjorn bjorn.skolander@nordiska.uu.se