Foreign minister takes a stand against imprudent promotion of tolerance

Since last year our foreign minister has been Guido Westerwelle, chairman of the libertarian-ish FDP. He is also gay. So far his partner has accompanied him on his official trips. Now has decided that he doesn't really want to be so in-your-face about it and has announced he will be traveling alone to countries where homosexuality is illegal.
Of course he is still as much in favor of 'promoting tolerance' as ever, just not, you know, 'imprudently'.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...711783,00.html

It's a commentary piece but it provides all the necessary background.

Oh Guido, the best thing I can say about you is that you are running your party into the ground.

Quote:

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But now Westerwelle has outed himself, not as a gay man, but as a diplomat. He has announced that he will not take his partner with him on trips to countries where homosexuality is a crime. Why? Because "we want to promote the concept of tolerance in the world. But we also don't want to achieve the opposite by behaving imprudently."

One doesn't have to read his remark twice to understand what it signifies: Tolerance is a wonderful thing, but we shouldn't push our luck. This is more than the usual hot air from a politician. Westerwelle's words are an example of moral hara-kiri in slow motion, and they're a disgrace for Germany.

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Heavens, yes. We wouldn't want to offend any people who are putting homosexuals to death or anything. :roll:

The people who hate homosexuals are still going to hate you, even if you don't bring your partner along. All you're doing is acting spineless in public.