The disruptive action was directed against a reading of the drag queen Candy Licious announced for today. Political representatives from Vienna and the federal government as well as HOSI-Vienna reacted with horror. The wall in front of the Mariahilf library has since been removed, as reported by a spokesman for the libraries on APA request. The stones were glued together with PU foam. The leaflets that could be found there railed against “state-financed globohomoideology”. Since the reading as part of Pride Month is from a children’s book, “early sexualization” was also lamented.
“This act is shocking and stunned”
Vienna’s Integration City Councilor Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) emphasized in a statement that the reading will take place today at 3 p.m. as planned. “This act is shocking, stunned and should be deeply condemned. It is our job to stand up for diversity in our cosmopolitan city every day. Full solidarity with the entire LGBTIQ community!”
Katharina Kacerovsky-Strobl, the organizer of Vienna Pride, thanked the authorities for their cooperation: “Thanks to their professional assessment and quick help, as well as thanks to the library, which had the wall removed again immediately, the reading can take place as planned and without any worries.”
Clarification and dialogue required
Ann-Sophie Otte, Chairwoman of HOSI Vienna, emphasized: “Actions like this show why Vienna Pride and the Rainbow Parade, Austria’s largest demonstration, are still necessary. Today more than ever, it’s about education and dialogue, so that LGBTIQ people finally being treated with the same respect as everyone else in our society. Anyone who wants to prevent this dialogue is putting themselves in the wrong.”
“It is completely incomprehensible that this could happen. Both the police and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution have been informed for weeks that reactionary and right-wing extremist groups are mobilizing against the Pride on a large scale,” said the spokeswoman for LGBTIQ and human rights of the Greens, Ewa Ernst -Dziedic, upset. The community should be scared. The “unbearable risk situation” from countries like Hungary or Poland is now also spreading to Austria. This must be prevented. One will not retreat a millimeter from “diehards and reactionaries”.
“No trivial offense”
SPÖ equal treatment spokesman Mario Lindner was also shocked. “We have been warning for years that the number of attacks against the LGBTIQ community is increasing. This new incident shows once again that a small minority has a sickening hatred of diversity in our country.” Politicians cannot let this go, he emphasized in a broadcast. He called for coordinated action at the federal level against such disruptive actions. Because such an event with children is “no trivial offense”.
FP: “Clearly reject sexualization propaganda”
Criticism also came from the FPÖ via broadcast – but on the reading. The “sexualization propaganda” for small children should be “clearly rejected,” said Mariahilfer district party chairman Leo Kohlbauer. It is unacceptable that children are indoctrinated with publicly financed “Globohomo ideology”.
Source: Nachrichten
