Big Brother Croatia Update: Gays vs. Zdravko Lamot

Iskorak and Kontra – Croatia's gay and lesbian NGOs – have sent an open letter to RTL Televizija demanding that something be done about Zdravko Lamot's statement in which he enticed "violence, enmity and intolerance towards sexual minorities".

Reason for Iskorak and Kontra to take interest in Croatia's most popular TV show was recent discussion about homosexuality during which many housemates expressed their dislike for that particular phenomenon. Zdravko Lamot, however, was the most explicit calling homosexuals "sick people" and adding that he would "kill his friend if he ever discovers his homosexuality".

Iskorak and Kontra demand that Zdravko Lamot must be warned about his "homophobic statements" and forcefully evicted from the House if he refuses to do so. In order to put extra pressure on RTL Televizija they sent the same letter to Human Rights and Ethnic Minorities committees of Sabor, Office of Children's Rights Ombudsman and Electronic Media Council.

Reference to the latter two bodies – those who had forced them to censor the show - was apparently enough to scare RTL Televizija officials. According to Večernji list (Vecernji list) they immediately went into damage limitation mode and issued statement trying to distance themselves from Lamot's statement and said that they would issue official communiqué tomorrow.