Date: Tue, 12 Jul 1994 13:23:26 MET From: "Tobias Wikstr|m" News from Swedish gay/lesbian politics Published by the Swedish Federation for Gay and Lesbian Rights (RFSL) Nr 22/94 (May 30th-June 5th 1994) No. 22/94 (30 maj-5 juni, 1994) 1 Ingvar Svensson's article Ingvar Svensson, Christian Democratic MP on May 30th wrote a debate article in the daily Dagens Nyheter: "Some homosexual groups have been very skillful lobbyists and have succeeded 'well' in the sense that they have gained support for their message. They succeeded to get through a cohabitation legislation for homosexuelas and have since then worked consciously in new areas. One is the arguing and actions for changed adoption rules for homsexuals." "For how many people is in fact this legislation on registered partnership intended? Well, nobody knows. Alrady when the Homosexual Cohabitation Act was adopted, it was established in the bill that it was not known how common such cohabitation relations were. When the Partnership Commission later - according to its directives - was to evaluate the Homosexual Cohabitation Act this was done by a number of statements. The number of homosexual cohabitants was 'unclear'. Finally it was believed that the Act has influenced the adttitude. That is not much of an evaluation. Modern studies imply that the number of homosexuals is relatively small, much smaller than what has been believed earlier. Among these a substantial number live in so-called promiscuity, i.e. partner changes are common. This seems to be particularly valid for men. How many there are who want to and actually are living in stable long-term relationships is thus 'unclear'. It is fantastic that it is desired that legislation is to be adopted on these loose grounds. Adoption and partnership is as far as I can judge not the real goal for these activists. The real reason should be to create social acceptance for a homosexual life-style. The issue is however whether the state is to be attitude-changing in this regard." "The majority of the Partnership Commission wants to end the neutrality doctrine which was established by the Civil-Law Commission. When this is done now, it is only for the benefit of the homosexual life-style. 'The legislator has undoubtedly a great task in issues of opinion formation', writes the majority of the Partnership Commisision and maintains that the state has to be a 'spear-head'. This writes the majority in the chapter that deals with the 'not insignificant influence on attitudes' that a Registered Partnership Act would cause. 'Desirable and important' are words that are used about this attitude influence. As far as I can judge the majority of the Standing Committee on Civil-Law Legislation shares this view. So this is what it is all about. Legislation as a crowbar for a change of attitudes in favour of a homosexual life-style. It is not laws it all about! Because that can be solved in another way." 2 Commentaries to Svensson's article "The party's leading 'ideologist', Ingvar Svensson, has taken up the fight against homosexuality. His method is ambush - a treacherous attack on the Registered Partnership Act - but under the politician's prose hides the old talk about guilt. Among the homosexual men 'a substantial number live in so- called promiscuity, i.e. partner changes are common'. So writes Svensson in Dagens Nyheter, provoked by a critical report on the Christian Democratic Party produced by the RFSL. From his entirely private assumption he deduces an equally private standpoint: gay men do not need a Registered Partnership Act, because they do not have any stable relationships anyway. Svensson sees a conspiration. The Registered Partnership Act that the Parliament will vote upon on June 7th would be a 'crowbar for a change of attitudes for a homosexual life-style'. Consequently it is normative, and legislation should not be normative. So this comes from the party that has reintroduced the christian ethics in the school plans and who want a clause of conscience in connection with abortions and a ban on casinoes. Not normative? The political idea of the Chrsitian Democratic Party is built exactly on ethics and norms. Nothing bad about that, but when Ingvar Svensson suddenly pretends that the legislation should be neutral, his credibility is zero. It is the homosexuals that he wants to catch and he should be open about that - like the neo-fascists in Italia. There the EU candidate Piero Buscaroli said yesterday that gay men should be jailed, just like rapists and people who have engaged in incest. Registered partnership gives gay men and lesbians the same right to formalize their relationships as heterosexuals. The only normaitve effect of such a law is that the equal value of people and right to love is recognized. When the Christian Democrats focus solely on sex and economy the party rejects all other dimensions of gay and lesbian relationships: loyalty, care, friendship, intimacy. This, if anything, is a humiliating crowbar attitude." (Expressen, Liberal, May 31st) "The accusations against the Christian Democrats for wanting to discriminate against and persecute homosexuals are not correct, writes the leading Christian Democratic ideologist Ingvar Svensson in a debate article in Dagens Nyheter on Monday. The reason is the debate that has arisen about the proposal to introduce a Registered Partnership Act which in general equalizes cohabitation between people of the same sex with marriage. Ingvar Svensson maintains that some gay and lesbian groups have been 'very clever lobbyists'. He accuses gay men and lesbians for generally living in promiscuity. He maintains as well that registered partnership is not the goal for the 'activists' who promote a Registered Parternship Act, but that the real reason is to create a social acceptance for a homosexual life-style. It is surprising that Ingvar Svensson soes not realize that the statements that the Christian Democrats discriminate against homosexuals is in fact justified. It should be enough if he read his own text in order to come to that conclusion. Several other examples on how Christian Democrats have expressed themselves in an prejudiced and miscrediting way about gay men and lesbians can be found in a newly published report compiled by the RFSL. The report is an examination of the Christian Democratic Party's views about gay men and lesbians and is built mainly on quotations from Parliamentary Motions, debate articles and speeches. It also illustrates how the Christian Democrats more than any other party conduct a campaign against gay and lesbian rights." "If the law gets the effect that Ingvar Svensson seems to warn against - social acceptance for a homosexual life-style - such an increased tolerance is only to be welcomed in accordance with the democratic fundamental view about everybody's equal value." (Sydsvenska Dagbladet, independent Liberal, May 31st) 3 (4) "Ingvar Svensson means also that gay men are promiscuous and do not want to live in monogamy. Therefore the Registered Partnership Act is not needed. His reasoning is very cynical. Everybody knows that gay men have been stricken hard by AIDS. The christian ethics should then rather lead to the conclusion that monogamy should be encouraged in order to prevent the spread of HIV. In a liberal society people should be allowed to choose forms of life. The society can here offer possibilites such as marriage and registered partnership, since there is a need for prople to comfirm the romantic love. Many people then wish to stay in the same relationship. The society has all reason to support people who want a stable relationship." (Dagens Nyheter, independent, June 2nd) "It is good that the Social Democrats and the Liberal Party with the support of the Leftist party at last have made up their mind to propose a Registered Partnership Act. The Christian Democats are of course criticizing. Ingvar Svensson, Christian Democratic ideologist and MP, attacked the proposal in a debate article in Dagens Nyheter on May 30th. He claims that gay men and lesbians in fact are not that many, so why have a special law for them? If they would be that few, why in that case should not a minority be protected as well as a majority? Worse, however, is Ingvar Svenssons statement that most homosexuals live in 'so-called promiscuity, i.e. partner changes are common...'. - It is fantastic that it is desired that legislation is to be adopted on these loose grounds, continues Svensson. Svensson generalizes in a prejudiced way and claim that they often change partners and therefore do not need a Registered Partnership Act. The fact that men and women marry and divorce several time in life, does not seem to worry Ingvar Svensson. His view on the stable family life is as false as a Carl Larsson painting!" (Helle Klein in ™rebro-Kuriren, Social Democratic, June 1st) "He establishes the existence of a strong lobby group among the homosexuals, who demand this law. But the reason for this, he thinks, is only that the homosexuals want to achieve a change of attitudes. That the demand has been formed because they, like heterosexual couples, want to celebrate their relationship is not even mentioned as a possibility. If he is not aiming at persecuting homosexuals he is still eager to use all the prejudice against them." "If the relationship cannot be fruitful, because the parties are of the same sex, the legislation shuold be kept away from that. Then promiscuity is the normal, according to the view of the Christian Democratic ideologist." (Eskilstuna Kuriren, Liberal, May 31st) "Yesterday the Christian Democratic ideologist Ingvar Svensson tried to explain in Dagens Nyheter why you should say no. His arguments are as strange and confusing as they use to be with the partnership opponents. First he explains that the accusations against the Christian Democrats for persecuting and discriminating against homosexuals are false, then he declares views that clearly show that his engine is the will to push gay and lesbian relationships out of the way so that gay and lesbian love becomes completely invisible, or at least odd. Ingvar Svensson thus claims that, if it concerns a small group in the society, it is to make laws on loose grounds? What does it matter if few or many couples of the same sex want to marry? Does he mean that issues that concern few people should not be subject to legislation?" "If Ingvar Svensson and the Christian Democrats really mean that the state shall not interfere in adult people's sexuality, as long as no-one is hurt, he has no reason to deny gay men and lesbians the right to marry." (Bohusl„ningen, Liberal, May 31st) "Svensson regards that the legislation does not at all have to do with legal security or the possibility to formalize relationships. It is nothing but 'a crowbar for a change of attitudes in favour of a homosexual life-style.'. This is a grotesque conclusion. A new legislation aims primarily at improving the situation for a group that is vulnerable and unjustly treated. The law does not plead in favour of a particular life-style - it only makes clear that homosexuals too are to be able to manifest and formalize their love and their relationships. That is in fact something completely different." (V„sterbottens- Kuriren, Liberal, June 3rd) 3 Further comments on partnership "In Denmark, the Registered Partnership Act has existed during four years without any exceptional developments. It is a strength and a success for democracy to give gay men and lesbians the same possibilty as others to live in stable family relations. It is feared that the Swedish society will be more divided in the future. This makes it particularly important to bury old prejudice and see every person as an equal individual. It is wise, expecially in public context which undoubtedly includes politics, to find facts and get basic knowledge in the subjects one makes statements about. One part of the christian movement does not know anything else about gay and lesbian relationship than what has been guessed or perhaps interpreted from Bible quotations. This one part should abstain from issuing directives for gay and lesbian life. As long as people do not hurt each other or others by their actions, no judgements from the society are needed." (Gefle Dagblad, Liberal, June 1st) "A Registered Partnership Act has since long been demanded by the organization of the homosexuals, RFSL. However, there are strongly differing opinion on how many there are who in fact would have any use of the law; the information of the organization on this is highly exaggerated, at the same time as the critics say that a Household Community Act should also involve other communities, such as students who live together, siblings and good friends who share house to save expenses. Equalizing marriage between man and woman with law-regulated homosexual community cannot be done either. Also the supporters of a Registered Partnership Act should consider that the heavy opposition from the Council on Legislation is reason enough to wait and not force the issue to the edge on Tuesday." (Norrk”pings Tidningar, Conservative, June 6th) The periodic publications of RFSL Kom Ut (in Swedish): 6 issues a year. Subscription 150 SEK a year. Fakta fr†n RFSL (in Swedish): Approximately ten fact sheets that are updated regularly. Subscription 200 SEK per ten mailings. News from Swedish gay/lesbian politics (in Swedish and English): 52 issues a year. Subscription 180 SEK a year or 30 international reply coupons. Hivbladet (in Swedish): 12 issues a year. Free of charge. Membership in the RFSL: 160-250 SEK a year, depending on which local branch is chosen. Includes subscription of Kom Ut. -- Tobias Wikstr”m RFSL, Box 350, S-101 26 Stockholm, Sweden Telephone +46-8-7360213 Telefax +46-8-304730