The Brussels LGBTQIA+ organization RainbowHouse has canceled two election debates after a stream of negative reactions about the N-VA’s participation. In a response, the organization said it was “deeply saddened” that there were doubts that it would “normalize” discrimination. N-VA reacts indignantly. “It must stop with the nonsense that we are an extreme right-wing homophobic party.”
In the run-up to the elections on June 9, the Brussels LGBT House had planned two election debates in the La Vallée cultural center in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek. All major Flemish parties were invited, except Vlaams Belag. But the presence of N-VA was criticized by many French-speaking LGBT people online.
The organization was confronted with a stream of negative reactions: from “scandalous” to “ignoring institutional racism, xenophobic migration discourse and decades of homophobic positions”. “By inviting them, you are also endangering the public through their violent and racist comments,” it added.
RainbowHouse then decided to cancel everything. “We cannot remain insensitive to the testimonies of the past few hours and regret that people have been hurt,” said a message on their social media. “It is important for us to calm the situation and return to peace,” said the organization, which still wants to defend the usefulness of an open debate, “even with speakers with whom we do not share certain values.”
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Brussels N-VA MP Gilles Verstraeten – who is outspokenly homosexual – regrets the decision. He said this at news site BRUZZ and also confirmed this to the editorial staff of HLN. “It is unfortunate that the debate is made impossible by the most extreme militants who actually say: the debate should only take place with people who agree with our vision. It is a great pity that RainbowHouse gives in to this.”
Other parties are also indignant
Groen and Open Vld also disagree with the decision. “I find it really hallucinating that the Rainbow House cancels a debate under pressure from threats and negative statements on the French-language post,” responds Frederik Ceulemans, spokesperson for the Brussels Open Vld faction, on Instagram.
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Tags: sense LGBTQ organization cancels election debates storm criticism NVA participation Elections
