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A homosexual candidate from the Freedom Party to the Seimas spoke on Facebook over the weekend about having suffered several hate attacks.
“These weeks, I have received a great deal of hate in various forms. Is it really about the video? Is it really because I am a believer or because I am?
The answer is simple and surprising: many people harbor unfounded fears and hatreds, even when they are covered by Scripture or “traditions.” And it affects not only me, but also my immediate surroundings, “wrote A. Sakalauskaitė on Facebook.
He assured that on election Sunday, drunken youths tried to break into the synagogue where the rehearsal was held and smashed the windows of the organization where he works.
“On election day I had to call the police several times. I don’t know how much it is related to that video, but it is well known that with the choir that we are rehearsing in that synagogue, then that arrival and talking about various things is possibly related with the fact that I was there, “said A. Sakalauskaitė.
However, during the election, the organist suffered another blow: a priest of the church where she plays the organ, asked not to return to work yet.
15 minutes After contacting A. Sakalauskait confirmed, he confirmed that he had been asked to temporarily not appear in church after the election video clip appeared.
“During our electoral campaign, we made a video that showed what my Sunday was like: I played at mass, planted oak with the organization, etc. In that publication, I do not hide my sexual orientation.
After that, the priest I was working for received many calls from various Lithuanian cities, people began to pressure him, accusing him of allowing me to work and play in the church. He asked me not to drink any more, because it is obvious that the pressure affected him, “said A. Sakalauskaitė.
According to her, she was still trying to talk to the priest, who replied that his phone had not been silent for three days because the wave of outrage was huge.
“The priest said, ‘If you don’t want to hurt me, don’t show up for a while. I told him that I never had the goal of hurting anyone, and what he goes through for three days, I will go through my whole life. ” 15 minutes the woman spoke.
According to A. Sakalauskaitė, the priest knew her orientation, but so far they have not bothered her. He admits that it hurts him that there are not people who support the priest and express a different opinion.
Priest: Ausma will no longer work in the church
15 minutes he also contacted the pastor of the Šventežeris parish, Fr. Egidijus Juravičius. He acknowledged that the hateful messages received were one of the reasons why the organist could no longer work in the church, but the priest emphasized that the main reason for the dismissal was A. Sakalauskait políticas’s political aspirations to change laws that were fundamentally contrary to church.
“I found out about her orientation maybe half a year after she was hired. Because she’s there not did not advertise, he played well, I had no complaints. But in the Catechism it is written that homosexuality considered a great perversion, and homosexual acts are disorderly in nature.
Photo from personal archive / Priest E. Juravičius
Now it turns out that Ausma will go to the Seimas and pass a law to legitimize these perversions. She cannot go against the teachings of the Catholic Church, after all, I could not have partners either, “said PEJuravičius.
According to him, the messages of outrage received initially put a lot of pressure on him, but now he himself no longer wants the organist to continue working in the church.
She cannot go against the teachings of the Catholic Church, after all, I could not have partners either.
“I do not see any possibility that he will continue working because it goes against the teaching of the Catholic Church,” said the priest.
A. Sakalauskaitė herself recalled that such a reaction from the church to her sexual orientation is not new. She says a priest from another parish two years ago openly discriminated against both her and her choir.
“We were a church choir at Calvary, and when the bishop raised a new priest, he immediately began to discriminate against us in various ways, such as not dispersing during Mass, communicating in an unpleasant way, accusing us of things that were not there. Finally, seeing that there was no way to get rid of us, the idea occurred to him that the parish would suddenly have no funds and would pay me double the salary, even though the parish did have those funds. So I said: thank you, but I will not work under those conditions.
So my choir community even went to the bishop to explain what was happening here, and he replied, “Ausma should be hated and all problems will end for you here.
Then my choir community even went to the bishop to explain what was going on here, and he replied: He drowned Shine and finish with you here with all the problems. We all go out, and now we sing where the door opens, where the priests invite us. There are many priests who do not have unfounded fears and attitudes, ”added A. Sakalauskaitė.
Regrets that leaders are opting for an “ostrich” strategy
Communication Manager of the Lithuanian Center for Human Rights Jūratė Juškaitė 15 minutes argued that, under the Equal Opportunities Act, ordering a person not to report to work for a period of time because of their sexual orientation can be considered discriminatory.
However, the specialist emphasizes, the law provides exceptions for religious communities, so it is not entirely clear whether such protection would apply in this case.
However, J. Juškaitė regrets that community leaders are often worthless and believes that the highest hierarchy of the Church should intervene in these cases.
Does such behavior correspond to what Church leaders and other believers call “Christian values?
“It is unfortunate that the authorities and community leaders do not act as true leaders, that is, they choose an ostrich strategy and instead defend in principle the right of everyone to participate in community life, educate and speak with parishioners, ask the victim not showing up and assigned to the job of an organist.
In this case, apparently, the higher hierarchs of the Church should also step in and speak publicly about whether the conduct of the priest and other believers who sent threats and possibly committed hate crimes is appropriate. Does this behavior correspond to what Church leaders and other believers call “Christian values”? – J.Juškaitė commented.
Photo by Vidmantas Balkūnas / 15 min photo / Jūratė Juškaitė
The specialist also points out that the level of homophobia in Lithuanian society is still very high, and a statistically significant number of people still would not want to work or live next to a homosexual person. The hatred is also particularly triggered by the fact that LGBT people themselves are not afraid to speak out about their orientation.
“When there are people like Ausma who don’t want to hide, adapt their lives to the norms of society, we see a lot of hatred. In such cases, we would like to urge those who advocate for LGBT equality not to keep quiet and support their friends, co-workers and neighbors who face such hatred, ”said J. Juškaitė.
Representatives of minorities are vital in politics
According to the human rights expert, the type of discrimination suffered by A. Sakalauskaitė can easily dissuade LGBT people from participating in political and public life, which is extremely damaging for the state, as it loses good and talented employees.
“The purpose of such messages is to intimidate, humiliate or despise not a specific person, but the entire community according to some chosen characteristic, in this case belonging to the LGBT community. Hatred sows mistrust between different groups in society, making it a particularly harmful and dangerous phenomenon for the State.
The next time, a person who belongs to this community will probably see several times if they really participate in politics or social activities and if they can really incite both verbal hatred and the risk of turning into physical aggression. In this way, we lose potential talents, we degrade people instead of providing opportunities to act and contribute to the good of society, ”explains J. Juškaitė.
According to her, the participation of minorities in politics is necessary because only members of a certain community can understand the problems of that community and solve them effectively.
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