Poland’s current Civic Forum leader, Donald Tusk, has admitted how embarrassing it was when the right-wing Law and Justice Party were in power, and Poland was seen as “a country of homophobes and Teletubbies specialists.”

This followed Polish President Lech Kaczynski’s placement in Human Right Watch’s “Hall of Shame” for his inflammatory remarks about same-sex marriage and anti-German xenophobia.

Prime Minister Tusk noted that:

“The image of homosexuals were used in the context of a curse and disaster which are lurking over Poland.

“I would prefer that Poland, whoever it concerns, whether the Prime Minister or President, not be regarded in the world opinion as a country of homophobes, Teletubbies specialists, but rather that they consider us normal.”

Given that the Kaczynskis were a pair of blond child stars and brought up in the entertainment industry, that may be asking too much. Unfortunately too, one of Kaczynski’s Law and Justice Opposition MPs, Pawel Kowal, attacked HRW and the “Hall of Shame”:

“It happens that serious organisations make a mistake. In this case it’s a matter of completely misunderstanding the point of the speech.

“The facts are that there which would support this claim,” Kowal said, referring to the contested handbag and ballet tutu that fellow male Teletubby Dipsy has also been known to wear.  At the same time as they enshrined Lech Kaczynski, HRW also condemned the President of Uganda for his homophobic outbursts.

Tinky Winky was unavailable for comment. He is understood to be visiting In the Night Garden’s Tombliboo Ooo, after homophobic incidents on that CBBC children’s series.

Tony Grew: “Poland Seen as A Country of Homophobes and Teletubbies Specialists” Pink News: 21.05.08: http://www.pinknews.co.uk