Speaking Of Closeted Conservatives...
Oct. 23rd, 2008 10:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fjBy the way, has nobody noticed the Austrian extreme right wing imploded last week due to rampant hypocrisy over homosexuality?
Over the last decade, Jörg Haider has created a foreigners-out, Christian-Family-First, Austria For The Austrians extreme (well, for Europeans) right-wing nationalist juggernaut coalition, that in the last elections got one third or so of the votes. Shortly thereafter, Jörg Haider, straight-shooting family man father of two, died in a car crash.
Because he was driving twice the speed limit. Because he was drunk. Because he had been drinking massive amounts of vodka. "In the arms of an 18 year old boy". In a gay bar. Because he had had a lover's quarrel. With his personal assistant, Stefan Petzner, a man 31 years younger, who, now at 27 and always heir apparent and thus chosen to lead the coalition shortly after Haider died, told Austria in an emotional radio interview what the media and the opposition had kind of always known and not talked about for all this time: Haider had always had same-sex affairs, liked younger men, and the relationship with Pretzner had been going on since the first time they met 5 years ago. Oh, his wife could see the connection was on a whole different level and thus she was ok with it. (Or not and she was totally pissed off about it, say other voices now.)
Pretzner has been removed from power, and right-wing Austria has a problem. I suspect they will now fizzle out like Leefbaar Nederland did in the Netherlands after their charismatic, nationalistic, younger-man chasing leader died. Of course, Fortuyn was very open and took no shit about being a homo, so no revelations there. In fact he used his homosexuality as a marker of how threatened he felt by the Islam of the foreigners rampantly taking over his dear country, and thus how threatening it was for Dutch tolerant Enlightment values. Haider, not so much; he was a closeted weenie running on Traditional Family Christian Values, and now the number one and number two of that party are out. And Out.
Remember, kids, in this day and age gayness will not kill your career if you show backbone. But the closet will.
Edit: My newshound![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jpeace has added a good pic of them in the comments.
Over the last decade, Jörg Haider has created a foreigners-out, Christian-Family-First, Austria For The Austrians extreme (well, for Europeans) right-wing nationalist juggernaut coalition, that in the last elections got one third or so of the votes. Shortly thereafter, Jörg Haider, straight-shooting family man father of two, died in a car crash.
Because he was driving twice the speed limit. Because he was drunk. Because he had been drinking massive amounts of vodka. "In the arms of an 18 year old boy". In a gay bar. Because he had had a lover's quarrel. With his personal assistant, Stefan Petzner, a man 31 years younger, who, now at 27 and always heir apparent and thus chosen to lead the coalition shortly after Haider died, told Austria in an emotional radio interview what the media and the opposition had kind of always known and not talked about for all this time: Haider had always had same-sex affairs, liked younger men, and the relationship with Pretzner had been going on since the first time they met 5 years ago. Oh, his wife could see the connection was on a whole different level and thus she was ok with it. (Or not and she was totally pissed off about it, say other voices now.)
Pretzner has been removed from power, and right-wing Austria has a problem. I suspect they will now fizzle out like Leefbaar Nederland did in the Netherlands after their charismatic, nationalistic, younger-man chasing leader died. Of course, Fortuyn was very open and took no shit about being a homo, so no revelations there. In fact he used his homosexuality as a marker of how threatened he felt by the Islam of the foreigners rampantly taking over his dear country, and thus how threatening it was for Dutch tolerant Enlightment values. Haider, not so much; he was a closeted weenie running on Traditional Family Christian Values, and now the number one and number two of that party are out. And Out.
Remember, kids, in this day and age gayness will not kill your career if you show backbone. But the closet will.
Edit: My newshound
jpeace has added a good pic of them in the comments.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-23 09:59 am (UTC)Haider (l), Petzner
Look at that beak on Petzner
Date: 2008-10-23 11:56 am (UTC)Re: Look at that beak on Petzner
Date: 2008-10-23 03:28 pm (UTC)Oh yeah, it was Switzerland.
Re: Look at that beak on Petzner
Date: 2008-10-23 03:32 pm (UTC)Re: Look at that beak on Petzner
Date: 2008-10-23 04:36 pm (UTC)Did you know that there are real people named Paul Niemoeser?
Re: Look at that beak on Petzner
Date: 2008-10-23 05:19 pm (UTC)Re: Look at that beak on Petzner
Date: 2008-10-23 05:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-31 01:13 am (UTC)I accidentally found some Tony Blair/Gordon Brown "erotic" fiction and it scarred me for life.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-23 11:09 am (UTC)Only one letter away
Date: 2008-10-23 11:13 am (UTC)These revelations do NOT, however, make it any less likely that Mossad agents shot out Haider's tyres.
Re: Only one letter away
Date: 2008-10-23 11:46 am (UTC)It's Austria
Date: 2008-10-23 11:55 am (UTC)Shades of The SA
Date: 2008-10-23 11:57 am (UTC)I was surprised how hot Heider was, however.
Re: Shades of The SA
Date: 2008-10-23 01:05 pm (UTC)Re: Shades of The SA
Date: 2008-10-23 05:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-23 02:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-23 03:07 pm (UTC)I wonder if they were into uniform role-play…
no subject
Date: 2008-10-23 04:55 pm (UTC)Is it possible to die of a schadenfreude overdose?
no subject
Date: 2008-10-23 05:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-23 07:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-23 07:40 pm (UTC)