Jenis av Ran, chairman of Faroe Island´s Central Party has refused to attend a formal dinner held in honour of Icelandic prime minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir's and her wife who are on an official visit to Faroe Island. Jenis av Ran said if he accepts the invitation it equals supporting gay marriage which he can´t, it´s agains his religious believes and his political party will never approve same sex marriages. Jenis av Ran homophobic reaction has received a lot of attention in Iceland as in rest of Scandinavia. His reaction has been publicly condemned by Iceland's foreign minister saying his comments are "disgraceful".
In 2006, Icelandic MP for Social Democratic Alliance criticised Faroese parliament for rejecting proposals designed to offer protection against discrimination on the basis of sexuality so this is not the first incident of the sort (PinkNews). Jens av Ran comments have also caused strong reaction among Faroe Islanders saying Jens av Ran is not speaking for the general publin in Faroe Island.
In an open letter to Mrs. Jóhanna, Arni Zachariassen writes: "I want to tell you that I was truly saddened and embarrassed by what Jenis av Rana, leader of Miðflokkurin, did yesterday by declining to take part in an official banquet with you, merely because of your sexuality. Not only is this saddening and embarrassing because Jenis is a Faroese politician and he, even though I did not vote for him, in some way represents me, but also because, like Jenis, I'm a Christian."
