Gay people are ‘useless’ and ‘fake’ says Myanmar lawmaker

A prominent lawmaker for Myanmar’s ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) forgot what century he was living in this week when he ranted on Facebook about homosexuals being “useless’ and “fake people” whom he singled out for abuse during his stint in the army because he hates them.
 
As absurd as it sounds, U Hla Swe, a parliamentarian representing Magwe, responded on Tuesday to an online feud with someone who had called him a “son of a bitch” by checking the man’s Facebook account and formulating the theory that “he had attacked me because he is gay,” according to the Myanmar Times.
 
“I hate gays very much because they are useless. I call them ‘fake people’,” he added.
 
In case anyone was wondering whether his animosity towards homosexuals was a new development or something with a long history, he went on to write that in the early 1980s he forced them to be military porters until they shouted, “We won’t live as gays anymore!”
 
A savvier politician may have taken the post down already, what with the growing outrage among Myanmar’s LGBT community, which quickly condemned the remarks when contacted by the Times.
 
But not this guy!
 
It’s still up, he still hasn’t apologized, and he still hasn’t resigned in disgrace.

This is all in the same week that the United States Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, in case you hadn’t noticed.
 
More than 400 comments have poured in on Hla Swe’s page, with many denouncing the repugnant views.
 
“He look like not education people,” said one user.  “Most of the country from the world accepted the homosexual. He did not study about the other country. How’s the situations of Gay life”?

When called for comment by the Times, Hla Swe responded with “a profanity”  and hung up.
 
But when contacted by Coconuts Yangon today, he must have had more time on his hands. He said he “didn’t want to talk about gays any more,” telling our reporter, “you seem to be gay, if you want to protect gays.”
 
He said he hadn’t seen the original article in the Times and asked what was said in it. Unrepentant, he doubled down on the original post.
 
“I don’t like gays. I hate homosexuality. It is unnatural. I don’t like them and I don’t want to talk to them.  Though you say it’s discrimination or whatever, actually, I [just] don’t like them.”

Photo / Facebook / Hla Swe