The question of the freedom of culture has flared up again after local SD politicians prevented drag queen artists from holding fairy-tale moments, and had objections to non-binary people being allowed to wear the Lucia crown.
– I think it is completely insane that “shameless wine whore” (artist name ed. note) receives tax money for reading fairy tales to children. At least that’s my limit, says Jimmie Åkesson in SVT’s party leader duel.
Stenevi replied that the statement was “homophobic drivel”.
– The fact that you don’t like drag is perfectly fine and up to you, but on the other hand, that you think you should decide what other people should see as culture is completely wrong.
Åkesson believes instead that public cultural policy should focus on, for example, cultural heritage and children’s culture.
– You have received a lot of criticism for having steered the culture very hard towards, for example, diversity, feminism and that type of thing. To claim that publicly funded culture is not politically controlled is to mislead the electorate.
Pehrson: “What do you think will happen?”
The Liberals’ Johan Pehrson also criticized Tidökollegan’s critical attitude towards drag queens reading fairy tales.
– It’s up to the librarian. How uncertain can you be, what do you think will happen? What is the problem if the library invites two bird watchers or whatever it may be. Don’t get so nervous, Pehrson told Åkesson.
Andersson: Orbán’s handbook
The Social Democrats’ Magdalena Andersson wrote in one debate article in DN that the three government parties and the Sweden Democrats are driving Sweden in an authoritarian direction.
– It is Viktor Orbán’s handbook that we see now that we are inspired by step by step. Going after LGBTQI people is just one part.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) reacts when the S leader claims that the right wing is trying to “silence and intimidate critical voices in society”.
– This thing about constantly implying that the other side actually wants to eradicate democracy, don’t play with fire, it’s dangerous. Then we will have few people in Sweden who believe that we do not solve real factual problems but only throw insults at each other.