Date: Wed, 25 Oct 1995 23:14:46 GMT
From: skolander@bahnhof.se (Bj\vrn Skolander)
Subject: SWEDEN: Mugabe's Anti-Gay Retoric to Be Debated in Parliament

Stockholm 25 October 1995

MP Barbro Westerholm from the Liberal Party has yesterday, 24 October 1995,
sent the following question, regarding President Mugabes recent anti-gay
statements, to the minister for foreign affairs, Lena Hjelm-Wallen. The
questions is supposed to discussed in the Swedish Parliament on November 7.


QUESTION TO MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS LENA HJELM-WALLEN

Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe is witch-hunting the country's gay
citizens. Prejudice against homosexuals has been elevated to a national
struggle. It has been proposed to put homosexuals in quarantine. Another
proposal has been to include a negative attitude towards homosexuality in
the school programmes. The campaign implies significant violations of human
rights, and has attracted attention from Amnesty International and other
human rights groups.

What does the Government intend to do, to make clear that Sweden does not
accept violations of this kind?

BARBRO WESTERHOLM   
MP for the Liberal Party 


Background information:
***********************
MP Barbro Westerholm has a long history of pro-gay political activism. In
the late 1970's she removed homosexuality from the medical list of
illnesses. In the 1990's she successfully lead the registered partnership
committee. In June 1995 she took part in ILGA's international conference in
Rio, to share her experience as a politician with activists from all over
the world.

Haakan Johansson <hakan.johansson@fri-kopenskap.se> for further information
regarding this message.

Bjorn Skolander