Winnie-the-Pooh, one of the most popular and beloved children’s characters, whose stories have been translated into over 60 languages and, who for some twenty years was made into some of Walt Disney’s biggest theatrical releases from the mid-sixties to the present, has come under assault by a group of conservative councilor members in the Central-West town of Tuszyn in Poland who have voted against having his iconic presence at a playground.
According to a report on The CroatianTimes. Com, Councilor Ryszard Cichy, 46, said: “The problem with that bear is it doesn’t have a complete wardrobe.It is half naked which is wholly inappropriate for children.” He then suggested a Polish fictional bear, saying: “Ours is dressed from head to toe, unlike Pooh who is only dressed from the waist up.” The meeting, which was recorded by one of the councilors and leaked to local press, then turned on Winnie-the-Pooh’s sexuality. One official is heard saying: “It doesn’t wear underpants because it doesn’t have a sex. It’s a hermaphrodite.”
Kristina Bravo, who picked up the story for TakePart.com, added: “The honey-loving bear isn’t the only fictional character targeted by Polish conservatives. In 2007, a children’s rights official demanded a psych evaluation of the Teletubby Tinky Winky. She claimed that the purse-toting purple character promoted homosexuality.
Real gay Polish citizens haven’t had it easy either. The situation isn’t as bad now as it was in 2007, when police kept tabs on the LGBT community and the state had a list of jobs “unsuited” for gays. In 2011, Robert Biedron became the first openly gay member of Parliament in the largely Catholic country.
Still, no laws protect the community from discrimination outside of work, same-sex couples can’t marry or adopt, and there are no rules addressing hate crimes or speech against gays. Tuszyn’s local council, in its decision to ban a children’s book character whose gender apparently isn’t clear, reflects a deep-seated culture of homophobia.
We are sure it has nothing to do with the fact that the clergy are still teaching sex education in schools.
