Politician axed over anti-gay rhetoric

Botkyrka councillor Karl-Otto Hultström has been told by his party that he will not retain his position as lay judge at Södertörn district court after the upcoming local election following comments he made on the blog of Gothenburg Left Party politician Jöran Fagerlund.

Fagerlund wrote an open letter to the Moderate Party after receiving some 300 comments from an IP address and e-mail address he said were traceable to Hultström.

“He has admitted to writing some of these comments and is incredibly disappointed, mostly with himself, and has expressed regret,” Jimmy Baker, chairman of the Moderate Party’s Botkyrka branch, told Sveriges Radio.

Baker said the decision to take Hultström off court duty was motivated by the inflammatory wording in some of the politician’s comments rather than the fact of his opposition to gay adoption.

In his letter to the Moderates, Fagerlund reproduced a series of comments posted by Hultström under various aliases.

“They can do what they like with each other but it’s going too far when they push themselves on small children! And the gays shouldn’t be allowed to adopt!!” wrote Hultström in one of many comments about gay rights.

“It’s not acceptable for him to express himself in this way,” said Baker.

Hultström has declined to comment on the matter.