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Way to go Estonia
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Don't these f****** people know its the 21st century already? I almost wish the USSR didn't collapse. And to know we let those w****** join the EU
Envoy quits over 'gay, race slurs'
Ambassador asks for transfer after partner abused in street
Wednesday, June 7, 2006 Posted: 1052 GMT (1852 HKT)
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (Reuters) -- The Dutch ambassador to Estonia is leaving his post after his partner suffered racist and homophobic abuse, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
Ambassador Hans Glaubitz is moving to the Dutch consulate in Montreal after requesting an early transfer because his partner, a black Cuban, could not stand living in Tallinn any longer.
"It is not very nice to be regularly abused by drunken skinheads as a '******' and to be continuously gawped at as if you have just stepped out of a UFO," Dutch media quoted Glaubitz as saying.
A ministry spokeswoman confirmed the move: "The authorities always treated them well but there was racist and homophobic abuse on the street."
She said Foreign Minister Bernard Bot had called his Estonian counterpart on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
Ehtel Halliste, a spokesman for the Estonian foreign ministry, noted that Glaubitz had said he and his partner had been well received at an official level.
"However, if there have been incidents in public places, we express regret," he said.
The European Parliament last month demanded an emergency debate on a wave of racist and homophobic attacks in Europe which they said radical political groups were fueling.
Rights groups have expressed particular concern about rising racism and xenophobia in eastern Europe.
Rainer Kattel, professor of political science from Tallinn University, said: "Estonia does have latent racism, but it is not violent like in other countries. If you are openly gay and of a different race people will make mean comments to you. We have not really gone through the enlightenment revolution."
The Netherlands became the first country to allow same-sex couples to marry in 2000.
Ambassador asks for transfer after partner abused in street
Wednesday, June 7, 2006 Posted: 1052 GMT (1852 HKT)
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (Reuters) -- The Dutch ambassador to Estonia is leaving his post after his partner suffered racist and homophobic abuse, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
Ambassador Hans Glaubitz is moving to the Dutch consulate in Montreal after requesting an early transfer because his partner, a black Cuban, could not stand living in Tallinn any longer.
"It is not very nice to be regularly abused by drunken skinheads as a '******' and to be continuously gawped at as if you have just stepped out of a UFO," Dutch media quoted Glaubitz as saying.
A ministry spokeswoman confirmed the move: "The authorities always treated them well but there was racist and homophobic abuse on the street."
She said Foreign Minister Bernard Bot had called his Estonian counterpart on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
Ehtel Halliste, a spokesman for the Estonian foreign ministry, noted that Glaubitz had said he and his partner had been well received at an official level.
"However, if there have been incidents in public places, we express regret," he said.
The European Parliament last month demanded an emergency debate on a wave of racist and homophobic attacks in Europe which they said radical political groups were fueling.
Rights groups have expressed particular concern about rising racism and xenophobia in eastern Europe.
Rainer Kattel, professor of political science from Tallinn University, said: "Estonia does have latent racism, but it is not violent like in other countries. If you are openly gay and of a different race people will make mean comments to you. We have not really gone through the enlightenment revolution."
The Netherlands became the first country to allow same-sex couples to marry in 2000.
Don't these f****** people know its the 21st century already? I almost wish the USSR didn't collapse. And to know we let those w****** join the EU
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