Czechs Test For Gayness

The European Union has slammed the Czech Republic's procedure of trying to measure the "gayness" of refugee claimants.

And just how does one measure someones "gayness"?

In the Czech Republic, officials force gay asylum seekers to watch straight porn while a doctor measures the movements of their penis. The goal is to prove that these refugees are actually "legitimately" gay.

This kind of procedure is not only indecent, it's a violation of human rights. Even the Czech Republic's human rights commissioner has called the practice "undignified.".

The Czech Embassy in Sweden tells the Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan that the Czech government admitted that phallometri has been conducted a dozen times, but only rarely as a "last resort" and not as a general application of the method.

"A purely medieval method and a major violation of the right of individuals" is how the EU Commissioner Cecilia Malmström describes the Czech authorities' methods in which gay men have undergone phallometric tests..

According to Cecilia Malmström, the EU is waiting for information from the Czech authorities to see if the issue can be pursued. She also notes that "We have a long way to go before we can say that we live in a completely tolerant Europe"

"Phallometry", refers to measurement of bloodflow to the male genital. The most commonly reported methods of conducting penile plethysmography involve the measurement of the circumference of the penis with a mercury-in-rubber strain gauge, or the volume of the penis with an airtight cylinder and inflatable cuff at the base of the penis.

Sydsvenskan Also Agrees With Bock

Today the editor in chief and responsible publisher of Sydsvenskan Mr. Daniel Sandström rushes in to support me in the issue concerning the publication of name and image of the supected gunman in Malmö.

For the brilliant analysis and the complete article (in Swedish only) please go here Sydsvenskan.

In his analysis, which is titled "When the Exception Becomes the Norm", Mr Sandström - among many other wise things - says (roughly translated), "How should we interpret "public interest"? The rules on press ethics don´t specify this. But you should use the words in a responsible manner, so that they will not be synonymous with "what people are curious about" or, even worse, "gossip". "Public interest" is about what the citizens have a right to know, or "what is important and relevant to citizens" as that phrase reads in the press ethics. If the detained 38-year-old was released and is free from suspicion, no one can say that his name is of "significance and importance to the citizens". Thus, it is currently too early to draw conclusions about the public interest, and therefore the precautionary principle must apply."

Mr Sandström continues, "Basically it is inherent in all publishing to show "a responsible attitude for the journalistic duties." Today, when information is disseminated on the Internet and is increasingly out of control, many believe that the media's refusal to state name and image has to do with censorship. Others believe that it is pointless to disidentify.  

Wrong. The need for accountability does not decrease because others do not take responsibility. On the contrary, I would say. Right now, it is urgent to show that there are alternatives to a development that puts both journalistic ethics and personal integrity at stake."

No need to tell me, I already know Mr. Sandström never heard of The Much Honoured Bock McMillan, Laird of Southern Charm, but that´s really his loss!