I have a good idea. I’m going to go out on a limb here, but I truly think that people who run human rights agencies for governments ought to support human rights.
Cue fireworks! But that’s what I think. Call me a dangerous radical, but that’s what I think.
Not so the Brazilian House of Representatives, apparently.
A row has erupted in Brazil after the House of Representatives elected an evangelical politician with homophobic views to run the country’s Human Rights and Minority Commission.
Hmmyes you see that’s my point – I think that’s a bad fit.
Marco Feliciano has previously said AIDS is a gay cancer and that Africans are cursed.
The Latin America Bureau reports he stated: “Noah’s curse on his grandson, Canaan, lingers in Africa, therefore leading to all the hunger, diseases, ethnic wars.”
In another comment, he wrote that the “rot of homosexual feelings leads to hatred, crime, rejection”.
Is that the right kind of experience and training for a job running the country’s Human Rights and Minority Commission? I say no. I realize that sounds strange and unfamiliar, but nevertheless – I say no.
Is the Brazilian House trying to compete with the US House for the World Crazy Cup?
If so, this is a good start, but I don’t think they have the depth of backbench talent necessary to get them through the grueling finals, whereas the US team has proven its indefatiguability and fire-in-da-belly over and over again.
Brazil’s just pissed that their traditional enemy, Argentina, have one of their bible bashers sitting pretty in the Vatican. They’re saying “Hey, we’ve got hateful bigots too – check this out!”
Oh, spectacular, thanks Brazil.
Not to be outdone, here in Canada we recently had the Status of Women Minister Rona Ambrose voting in favour of a motion to reopen the abortion debate.
And while not as outgoing and flamboyant as their US counterparts we do have a large cadre of theocratic, bible banging members of parliament looking to introduce legislation to deny women and homosexuals equal treatment under the law.
And then there’s the newly minted “Office of Religious Freedom”, with the mandate to protect the religious freedom of people around the world, as long as you happen to be one of those people who are white, male and christian. No women, darker skinned folk, heathens or atheists need apply.
Are there any minorities that exist in Brazil in any significant number that he doesn’t hate? I’m guessing the answer is Protestants.