Polish officials to investigate 'gay' Teletubbie
Tuesday, 29 May 2007 12:58
Teletubbies have been a big hit on UK TV
A Polish government minister has initiated an investigation into whether the BBC TV show Teletubbies promotes homosexuality.
Ewa Sowinska, the government's children's rights minister, has targeted the purple Teletubbie Tinky Winky in particular, saying she "didn't realise he's a boy".
Ms Sowinska has asked psychologists to investigate the show and recommend whether or not it was suitable for public broadcast.
The Polish government has come in for criticism from other EU members for its policy towards homosexuals.
The children's minister was quoted in a magazine as saying: "I noticed he [Tinky Winky] was carrying a woman's handbag. At first, I didn't realise he was a boy."
Since her comments became a matter of fairly light-hearted public debate, Ms Sowinska has backed down slightly, saying she does not think the show is a threat to children living in Poland.
The attack on the Teletubbies is reminiscent of comments made by the late US evangelist Jerry Falwell, who also picked the show's stars out for criticism.