A photo circulating on social media claims to show Estonia’s former president Kersti Kaljulaid standing on a stage alongside her son who is wearing a pink dress. Under the various posts shared thousands of times, there are many anti-LGBT comments. “Who is the mother and who is the son here, I am lost”, comments one of them. “Where is the world going if this is the example set by our leaders? exclaims another.
The photo was notably shared by Sandro Bregadze, leader of the far-right Georgia March movement, known for its opposition to LGBTQ rights.
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In fact, the photo shows Kersti Kaljulaid next to activist and author Mikk Pärnits at an award ceremony. Searching the Estonian media reveals that the photo was taken during an award ceremony in Tallinn on August 18, 2020, during which Mikk Pärnits and other activists received awards for their role in violence prevention.
Mikk Pärnits’ attire at the ceremony was criticized by some conservative politicians, including the country’s former justice minister, Raivo Aeg, who later removed the activist’s name from the list of laureates for what he described it as an “offensive message” aimed at “putting down a traditional family”.
In a message posted on his Facebook account, the activist gave more details about the award ceremony he received. “I didn’t wear a suit. The suit is sort of the men’s iron suit, a form of protection. A middle-aged man in a suit can say amazing things, and people believe him and listen to him. I decided to make myself vulnerable, ridiculed. Because that’s how women are often seen. Systematic violence against women also benefits men who feel they have done nothing wrong,” he wrote.