Cyprus leader: Homosexuality like bestiality, necrophilia

 By Ruth Schneider, 365gay.com

 
Cyprus Parliament member Andreas Themistocleous made comments last week that stoked outrage on the Internet after he called gays and lesbians social deviants.

Themistocleous comments compared homosexuality to pedophilia, bestiality and necrophilia.

In a debate about same-sex marriage reform in Cyprus, he said, “Just because there exist among us pedophiles, people who practice bestiality, necrophiliacs and other criminals, should the state legitimize their status too?” the Cyprus Mail reported.

Protests of the comments sparked both a Facebook page that had more than 1,000 fans and a letter-writing campaign on a Cyprus blog site.

Giorgis Renginos, a spokesman for an LGBT group told Cyprus Mail there needs to be a focus on education.

“What we want to do is educate the public about homosexuality. There are so many misconceptions out there, for example that all pedophiles are homosexuals or that gays prey on young people or that they try to ‘convert’ them,” said Renginos. “It’s time to set the record straight.”