14/04/2009
Zagreb readership will have the opportunity of encountering the children`s book “Zvijeri plisane” (meaning Stuffed Monsters) which has raised wind because of its homosexual characters. The book does not include a mother and a father, but Doris and her girlfriend.
The authors says that the reason for writing this book has nothing to do with his sexual orientation.
- No, I`m not homosexual, I have never had such an experience, this is not my reason to write this book. I`ve written about aliens, therefore what is that supposed to mean – author Zoran Krusvar said.
- If there are 5-10 percent people with homosexual preferences in the world, the important this is to have the same percentage of representation in literature. Furthermore, children need to be informed at a certain point – Zoran Krusvar added.
In his story “Zvijeri plisane”, the stuffed animals start their adventure forced to change their owner. None of the animals have sexual insignia, apart from the turtle which wants to be a squirrel and gives the innuendo of transgender persons. The initial owner of the toys, Doris, has a girlfriend and the story ends with a happy end.
- We are not all the same and it is very important to develop tolerance towards others. The theme of homosexuality in this book is in the background, it is not intrusive – it only promotes tolerance. There are physiological differences in the brains of homosexual and heterosexual persons, they are just different.
Will the children understand?
Although he is pleased with the story he has written in a month, Krusvar claims that it many not have been perfectly written for children, seeing how this was his first attempt in this genre.
Children`sunderstanding of this book depends on their age, the older ones might understand everything, while Krusvar did not wish to guess about the understanding of the younger audience.
- There is no text in Croatia which would introduce children to information on homosexual persons, this is necessary information. When something is new, it can be controversial, but when other examples follow, it is no longer a problem. During the middle of last century, Americans had problems with integrating African-Americans into society, and now, they have an African-American president – Krusvar concludes.
We do not need what is not in nature and God’s laws
Totally expectedly, the conservative HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) member Andrija Hebrang, who has already publicly said that a child cannot be brought up well by a mother alone, was also not impressed with the “mum + mum” variant, or “dad + dad”, and considers the distribution of the book amongst the school population to be inappropriate:
“That is unallowable from pedagogic and moral reasons, because it imposes a public opinion of unnatural relationship in the community. It is also illegal” says Hebrang.
His party colleague Nedjeljka Klaric was even harsher, and said that it violates God’s laws:
“That is totally inappropriate. A children needs a positive identification of the mother and father. I do not know in which way the child could do this in a same-sex union. When you ask me about same-sex marriages and their rights to be parents, I am against what is absent in nature and in God’s laws. That is against God and that book should be banned”.
Mrsic: I vote for same-sex marriages
Mirando Mrsic from SDP (Social Democratic Party) considers that politics should not decide on this, but the experts, according to the good of the children:
“Absolutely in all of that the good of the children must be looked at. First the experts must speak their opinion if the book should be distributed amongst children. We already know that children brought up in a same-sex parenting environment do not have tendencies for same-sex sexual relationships. I think those people should be allowed to live how they want, and the legalization of same-sex marriages needs a national consensus. Personally I would vote for”.
Ratko Gajica from SDSS (Independent Democratic Serbian Party) agrees that the book is a “cute spark”.
“As far as parenting in a same-sex union, I am against all prohibitions, let the people have their will and arrange their lives as they like. This can violate some usual stereotypes, but if the law and morals are not violated, let them do what they want.
Zagreb readership will have the opportunity of encountering the children`s book “Zvijeri plisane” (meaning Stuffed Monsters) which has raised wind because of its homosexual characters. The book does not include a mother and a father, but Doris and her girlfriend.
The authors says that the reason for writing this book has nothing to do with his sexual orientation.
- No, I`m not homosexual, I have never had such an experience, this is not my reason to write this book. I`ve written about aliens, therefore what is that supposed to mean – author Zoran Krusvar said.
- If there are 5-10 percent people with homosexual preferences in the world, the important this is to have the same percentage of representation in literature. Furthermore, children need to be informed at a certain point – Zoran Krusvar added.
In his story “Zvijeri plisane”, the stuffed animals start their adventure forced to change their owner. None of the animals have sexual insignia, apart from the turtle which wants to be a squirrel and gives the innuendo of transgender persons. The initial owner of the toys, Doris, has a girlfriend and the story ends with a happy end.
- We are not all the same and it is very important to develop tolerance towards others. The theme of homosexuality in this book is in the background, it is not intrusive – it only promotes tolerance. There are physiological differences in the brains of homosexual and heterosexual persons, they are just different.
Will the children understand?
Although he is pleased with the story he has written in a month, Krusvar claims that it many not have been perfectly written for children, seeing how this was his first attempt in this genre.
Children`sunderstanding of this book depends on their age, the older ones might understand everything, while Krusvar did not wish to guess about the understanding of the younger audience.
- There is no text in Croatia which would introduce children to information on homosexual persons, this is necessary information. When something is new, it can be controversial, but when other examples follow, it is no longer a problem. During the middle of last century, Americans had problems with integrating African-Americans into society, and now, they have an African-American president – Krusvar concludes.
We do not need what is not in nature and God’s laws
Totally expectedly, the conservative HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) member Andrija Hebrang, who has already publicly said that a child cannot be brought up well by a mother alone, was also not impressed with the “mum + mum” variant, or “dad + dad”, and considers the distribution of the book amongst the school population to be inappropriate:
“That is unallowable from pedagogic and moral reasons, because it imposes a public opinion of unnatural relationship in the community. It is also illegal” says Hebrang.
His party colleague Nedjeljka Klaric was even harsher, and said that it violates God’s laws:
“That is totally inappropriate. A children needs a positive identification of the mother and father. I do not know in which way the child could do this in a same-sex union. When you ask me about same-sex marriages and their rights to be parents, I am against what is absent in nature and in God’s laws. That is against God and that book should be banned”.
Mrsic: I vote for same-sex marriages
Mirando Mrsic from SDP (Social Democratic Party) considers that politics should not decide on this, but the experts, according to the good of the children:
“Absolutely in all of that the good of the children must be looked at. First the experts must speak their opinion if the book should be distributed amongst children. We already know that children brought up in a same-sex parenting environment do not have tendencies for same-sex sexual relationships. I think those people should be allowed to live how they want, and the legalization of same-sex marriages needs a national consensus. Personally I would vote for”.
Ratko Gajica from SDSS (Independent Democratic Serbian Party) agrees that the book is a “cute spark”.
“As far as parenting in a same-sex union, I am against all prohibitions, let the people have their will and arrange their lives as they like. This can violate some usual stereotypes, but if the law and morals are not violated, let them do what they want.
The SDP member has already publicly advocated for gay right on many occasions. Sime Lucin considers that a book that advocates “gay is okay” is totally necessary:
“Certainly from youth the children need to be educated that gay unions are not anything unnatural. Only that way can we reduce homophobia, and we are an “envious” homophobic society. Unfortunately, since the last nine years when there has been more talk about the rights of the gay population in Croatia, it has pushed homophobia into the public domain. I do not think the Church is the problem here, it has its doctrines and I do not have anything against them promoting them. However, the state institutions are the problem, which should be secular, which do not look at the greater benefit of the society. Now we all are disgusted by the underage pregnancies in Great Britain, as if they do not occur in Croatia”.
