“These comments are very close to my heart”

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Mr. Borer, the most important question first: How is your son Nael Yunus?
Oliver Borer: Super good by the way, he is exactly six months old today. While we’re here on the phone, he’s sitting next to me beaming at me with his full belly. He recently got his first two teeth and last week we went on holiday to Ticino for the first time as a family. We had a great time.

Last year you announced that you and your husband had a baby from a surrogate mother in the United States. Since then you have been regularly bombarded with hate messages. This week you posted a particularly nasty comment on social media. Why?
Because this message I received by mail has crossed a line. It is very offensive and very homophobic. It’s clearly “hate speech”. It’s not just about me and my family. When young gay men hear such remarks, it is extremely dangerous and can lead to suicide.

How long have you been thinking about making this post public?
I wasn’t sure at first, but then I decided to publish it because many people often don’t believe what I hear. Many tell me: “We live in the 21st century, people are open and tolerant.” Unfortunately, that is often not the case. Over the past few weeks I have received such hate messages again and again in waves. It just doesn’t stop.

Will you take legal action against this particularly nasty hate comment?
I am currently still talking to SRF’s legal department and we are looking at how to proceed together.

How close are you to this incident?
Very close because it has reached a new level and because it is aimed not only at me, but also at my family. In such situations, you naturally wonder what will happen to Nael when he grows up. That worries me.

What role does the media play in this? Shouldn’t we be reporting this hate news at all?
That is a good question. By doing so, you naturally invite imitators and inadvertently fuel hatred. But no, we have to talk about it openly. This intolerance of non-conformist lifestyles, this homophobia and this blind hatred must stop. Hate is not an opinion, hatred is a feeling and has nothing to do with arguing. It’s all about power and humiliation.

We too were bombarded with comments. Many wrote: It is your own fault if you come out with your story.
This argument bothers me and is perfidious. If straight people come out with their families, report on their vacations or show their children, that’s no problem. They are even celebrated for it. But when I do that with my maverick model, I’m immediately offended. Why shouldn’t I be allowed to speak publicly about my dream of having a family of my own? And what should be wrong with our family happiness? Quite simply: nothing!

In response, have you considered withdrawing from social media?
I was teaching as a teacher yesterday. On the way home I had time to think about it. My first thought was: I’m getting out. But my second thought was, that would be a bad sign. Then all the “haters” would have won, but I don’t want them to win.

What do you want?
It’s not about putting my life on display, I want to start a discourse, a discussion, so that something can finally change. That’s the only reason.

How much energy does this fight cost you?
A lot, including time. And yet I am convinced that dialogue, even if it takes energy, is the only right way. At the moment I still have the energy for it.

Where do you get this energy from?
Of the many positive messages and people who support me on this path, because in addition to the hate reactions, I am currently also being flooded with positive messages. That makes me optimistic in spite of everything.

Source : Blick