ILGA Portugal considers Nuno Melo’s statements “very serious, although not surprising” – Nacional



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“Worrying”, “very serious” and “not surprising.” This is how he characterizes the statements of Nuno Melo Joana Cadete Pires, vice president of ILGA Portugal, the institution of social solidarity that supports and defends the human rights of the LGBTQ + community. The CDS-PP MEP was this Thursday, October 1 on TVI24 defending his position as the first signatory of a petition that aims to challenge the government to review the contents of the Citizenship and Development subject – or attribute you have an optional character in the plans study.

During the broadcast, which was also attended by former journalist Helena Ferro Gouveia, the MEP argued that discipline should not be mandatory and accused the state of indoctrinating Portuguese students with policies associated with the left on the political spectrum. “The students are children of their parents and not of the State”, and defended that it is still not acceptable that the school, as an institution, becomes “an extension of LGBT activism.”

Meanwhile, Nuno Melo reinforced that he did not understand the question of “people who like people”, since, as he insisted on repeating several times, they are heterosexual. “This theory that we like is people, which is a bit at stake here, it’s my problem. I like women. Personally, I’m straight and I like women. I don’t like men. It’s legitimate.”, could be heard during the debate whose main theme was compulsory discipline.

Given these statements, Joana Cadete Pires, vice president of ILGA Portugal, believes that “a discipline such as the one being questioned addresses a variety of issues such as gender equality and the rights of the LGBT community and that, therefore, is fundamental for the education of a person ”. Starting from this premise, he considers that “the school must play an active role in the education of all and that any controversy that exists around the subject deserves a negative reaction”.

“Disciplines like these are important because they enshrine the idea of ​​equality for all, which is provided for in our constitution,” he explains to MAGG.

“The MEP uses the term indoctrination, as if the school wanted to shape the thinking of its citizens”

As for Nuno Melo, the vice president of the association has no doubts: “The MEP went further in expressing his opinions by not understanding the difference that exists between a heterosexual person in assuming himself that way, in prime time, compared to someone who is gay or transsexual who can’t do it. Not in prime time, not in your personal circle of friends, family, or even coworkers. “

But despite the fact that Nuno Melo’s statements are viewed with “concern” by ILGA Portugal, Joana Cadete Pires reinforces that other opinions have been made public that go in the opposite direction with “various figures of Portuguese society to raise their voices against these movements “.

But he reinforces that the greatest factor of concern is, above all, the way in which the CDS-PP MEP expressed his ideas, referring to the fact that he used the term “indoctrination” applied to the issue of Citizenship and Development.

“The MEP uses the term indoctrination as if the school wanted to shape the thinking of citizens and citizens when, in fact, that is not what is intended. What the discipline wants to convey is that there are heterosexual people, like MEP Nuno Melo, but also homosexuals, like me, bisexuals, transsexuals … There is a whole spectrum of sexual orientations and it is a right for everyone, and also for children . , get to know him to promote the right to equality ”, he defends.

In this sense, Nuno Melo’s statements are, for ILGA Portugal, “worrying and very serious, although not surprising”, alluding to the type of interventions he has had, and has had, on gender equality.



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