Minister condemns Orbán-ally industry representative’s homophobic comments

Hungarian Family Minister Katalin Novák has decried homophobic comments made by the commerce chamber chief about a hypothetical homosexual teacher amid outcry from teacher’s union representatives.

“I find it hard when my nine-year-old son, for example, is helped up the ladder or the rope by his teacher, when I know that he is attracted to guys. So with this, we are facing a very difficult period in which everyone has to reckon with their conscience about how far and how they will go in this” topic, Telex quoted the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry president László Parragh saying on Monday.

The influential ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, widely considered to have had a considerable influence over the country’s education and economic policy in recent years, was giving a speech at the academic year opening ceremony of national vocational education.

“What he said is deeply wrong, I disagree with it, and the government has consistently taken a strong position that sexual orientation is a private matter and that everyone is free to live their lives according to their own orientation,” minister Novák said on Tuesday, according to 24.hu.

Gábor Gosztonyi, vice-president of the Teachers’ Trade Union (PSZ) told Telex he expects at least an apology from Parragh.

Meanwhile, education ombudsman Lajos Aáry-Tamás commented: “More respect for teachers!”