Wilders reiterates Trump support while calling for LGBT rights, gender equality
In a speech in Germany this weekend PVV leader Geert Wilders reiterated his support for new United States president Donald Trump and congratulated him again on his election. He also reiterated his warnings about the "Islamization" of Europe, referring specifically to the threat it poses to women's rights and LGBT rights.
"There is however some positive news", Wilders said to a gathering of the ENF Group - a nationalist group in European Parliament. "There is a reason for hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Better times will come. The wind started to shift last year. It brought us the victory of - and from here, congratulations to - Donald Trump, the president of the United States."
He expressed his belief that the same will happen in the Netherlands, Germany France, Italy and throughout Europe. "The patriots are winning. The time of change has come." Wilders said. "History calls on us all to save Europe. To save our humanistic Judeo Christian culture and civilization, our liberties, our nations, the future of our children."
The PVV again talked about what he calls the "Islamization" of Europe. "Politicians from almost all established parties are promoting our Islamization. Almost the entire Establishment, the elite universities, the churches, the media, politicians, put our hard-earned liberties at risk." he said. "Dy after day, for years, we are experiencing the decay of our cherished values. The equality of men and women, freedom of opinion and speech, tolerance of homosexuality - all this is in retreat."
On Saturday nearly a million people - mostly women, but also men and children - participated in over 600 Women's Marches around the world against Donald Trump and his statements about women and the LGBT community.
Over his many decades in the spotlight, Trump made numerous derogative and insulting comments about women or aimed and specific women. These comments ranged from jokes about how he would date his daughter to suggesting that women who had an abortion should be punished. For example, in a 1994 interview with ABC news Trump he talked about "going through the roof" if he comes home and dinner is not on the table and added that he gets bored when women become successful. "I think that putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing", he said in the interview. "Unfortunately, after they're a star, the fun is over for me. It's like a creation process. It's almost lie creating a building It's pretty sad." A collection of such comments can be seen here.
He's similarly made various controversial comments about LGBT rights and same-sex marriage. In an interview with Bloomberg in 2015 he said: I have been against [same-sex marriage] from the standpoint of the Bible, from the standpoint of my teachings as growing up and going to Sunday school and going to church, and I’ve been opposed to it, and we’ll just see how it all comes out. But, you know, if I was ever in that position I'd just have to explain it." And after 49 people were killed in a shooting at a gay club in Orlando in June last year, Trump tweeted: