One of the Bulgarian gay activists, Mr. Dobromir Dobrev, wrote to me that indeed Mr. Rashidov’s words were indeed part of some old interview that he had read before. The interviewer was the same, Ms. Valeria Veleva. She was famous for these personal interviews with celebrities before, and she interviewed MR. Rashidov in his capacity of a sculptor at the time. I don’t know how much of the old interview she – or somebody on the Biograph magazine’s team – had incorporated into the new one and why. It seems that the magazine only exists on paper, and nobody I know has seen what’s inside that issue.

So Mr. Rashidov was right that it was something he had said a long time ago when he wasn’t a minister yet. He was quoted as saying “As a minister, I’m very cautious in my statements” (translation mine) here: http://www.dnevnik.bg/bulgaria/2012/01/05/1739556_vejdi_rashidov_ne_moga_da_vi_kaja_dnes_kakvo_mislia_za/ (ugh, Google can’t manage the translation of this article into English anywhere near decently). This was the part before the actual apology.

So he tried to dismiss his words from that old interview as a not very clever emotional reaction to something that he couldn’t even remember now, and claimed that they were incorporated into the new interview without his knowledge. But still he did apologize. He’s a member of an ethnic minority, by the way, so he said, “I know myself as a representative of a minority that all citizens of Bulgaria are equal before the law, and have never allowed and will never allow myself any kind of discrimination” (translation mine). This is the source: http://www.dnevnik.bg/bulgaria/2012/01/05/1739655_rashidov_se_izvini_ubeden_e_v_pravoto_na_izbor_na). Now he only needs somebody to teach him that sexual orientation is not a choice…

I find this cautiousness encouraging, although I can’t tell if it’s a personal trait of his, or it has suddenly really become unacceptable for a Bulgarian government official to be so blatantly homophobic (it could be an attempt not to look too bad to the EU authorities because I don’t think he took the angry citizens’ calls for his resignation in the scandal that ensued seriously).

I’ve been waiting for you to comment.

Would you say that the “corrections” by Roshidov indicate that there has been at least some shifting in what is now the socially acceptable level of anti-gay commentary in Bulgaria? Perhaps anti-gay statements are now more scandalous than once might have been?

I love that we have a local perspective to get a better understanding.

It was quite a saga, Timothy. It developed so fast that it was difficult for me to follow. It’s a pity that you don’t understand Bulgarian because I have several links to provide. Well, at least there is some more in English again at novinite.com.
Second “series” of the saga: Amid Scandal, Bulgarian Culture Min Says He Likes Many Gays http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=135442
Third “series”: The Bulgarian Minister Who Thinks Some Gays Are Cool http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=135471

The only thing that surprises me is that he went and apologized. This is really unusual for a Bulgarian politician. Was the scandal so bad, I wonder?

And Reagan DuCasse, this is your typical “macho” man from my part of the world in his full glory. *sigh*

I have to run now. I’ll be back with more details.

He thinks he’s deep, and intellectually superior.
When in fact, he’s a creative and intellectual dud.
His arrogance is only exceeded by his pomposity.

And that sculpture looks like a horse eating a person’s head.
Something that might give a person nightmares and make an uncomfortable roommate.

What an insufferable BOOR the man is!