An estimated 5,000 people took to Warsaw's streets Saturday to celebrate the Polish towns gay pride. While the majority of Poland's Catholic citizens disapprove of homosexuality, the day passed by relatively peacefully. Past pride events have been marred by violence, but Saturday's only hit a few bumps as a few dozens protesters lobbed Biblical references and moral condemnations, resulting in a few arrests.

Parade organizer Tomasz Baczkowski praised his country's prideful progress:

This was the largest parade we've held in Poland. Polish society has opened its eyes and they know what democracy, equality and diversity mean.

Baczkowski's statements are only partly true. The march came days after the education minister put forth a series of anti-gay reforms.

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• Just weeks before he's to be sentenced for driving under the influence, British pop star George Michael has admitted he's addicted to drugs, but once again took some time to praise pot:

[My arrest] involves prescribed drugs and it involves a dependency on them and the tendency to chase one drug with another because of side effects.
...
We could sit here with any number of policemen and doctors and they would all tell you if everybody who had a dependence on alcohol changed their mind and had a dependence on weed, the world would be a much easier place to live in.

We weep at your eloquence, dude...

• Warsaw mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz Walz took a stand against the homophobic government and said the town's Gay Pride will go on! We wonder what President Lech Kaczyński will have to say. Probably something in Polish. And not pleasant.

• Julie Enzer has something to say, "Gay Pride is not just poppers and blowjobs!" Only Enzer's version's a little longer. And persuasive.

• Anne Heche's soon-to-be ex-husband alleges the actress "has at times exhibited bizarre and delusional behavior". He obviously missed that whole alien abduction thing...

• Pam Anderson pissed off some paparazzi in Cannes. Apparently they were upset her tits showed up late for the red carpet and bounced away before striking properly perky poses. Poor paparazzi...

• It's just like the 400-pound gorilla in the room, only it's a 400-pound gorilla on the loose! A witness remarked, "Everyone was in panic, running away, screaming, wailing, screaming kids running around, I don't know what all, kids without parents—it was a total drama." Kids without parents and a 400-pound gorilla? That's not drama. That's some shit....

• Need to learn how to give a hand job? Click here.

Approximately 80 young protesters gathered outside the Polish embassy London yesterday to commemorate International Day Against Homophobia. The British Youth Council-backed, wide-eyed activists hope to counter Poland's increasingly homophobic internal policy.

Just yesterday, Polish education minister, the monstrous Roman Giertych unveiled his proposed education reforms. These anti-queer reforms, which Giertych and his conservative boss, President Lech Kaczyński, claim will help shield the children from sinful sexuality, have been condemned by a number of European politicians.

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Today's a very special day, reader. Well, yes, it's Thursday, which is sort of special, but more importantly, it's International Day Against Homophobia.

Seventeen years ago today, the World Health Organization officially removed homosexuality from its charter of diseases, neuroses and various bugs. Though WHO doesn't think you're sick, plenty of other people do.

International gays and gay supporters will take some time today to shake their fists in a push to decriminalize homosexuality, combat homophobia and vent their frustrations.

There are so many homophobes to choose from, so how do you know which way to wag the finger? Easy, you check out Human Rights Watch's Hall of Shame.

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Polish Education minister and lurch lookalike, Roman Giertych unveiled his controversial education reforms yesterday.

Among his conservative goals, Giertych hopes to pass an overarching ban on any discussion of homosexuality in the classroom. Not because he's homophobic, of course. He's simply thinking of the children:

It is only to protect youth from the propagation of views that threaten marriage, threaten family, and threaten the duties of school, which are to prepare one to fulfill family duties and the duties of a citizen.

Though eager to implement his plans, Giertych does not define "propagation". Rather, he describes potentially prohibited material as "every action that is dependent on the public presentation of a certain belief with the intention of convincing others to that viewpoint." The nebulous nature of his legislation has raised a few eyebrows.

European Parliament spoke out against Poland's politics earlier this year, at which point Dutch MEP Kathalijne Buitenweg questioned the nation's political responsibility: "The disturbing proposals to outlaw discussion of homosexuality raise serious concerns about the commitment to fundamental rights in Poland." Buitenweg isn't the only concerned citizen.

Human Rights Watch has posted a petition urging the Polish government to stop its policies before it's too late. Head on over and give it a go - the petition will be delivered Saturday, May 17, during the Warsaw Equality Parade.

This weekend's The World Congress of Families in Poland will be a veritable who's who of homo-haters. The Family Research Council, Concerned Women For America, the American Family Association, Focus on the Family and a slew of other conservatives will gather to discuss Europe's so-called slow decent into "post-modern West" hell.

From the Congress' website:

Europe is almost lost; to a demographic winter and to the secularists. If Europe goes much of the world will go with it. Almost alone, Poland has maintained strong faith and strong families, though even Poland comes under severe pressure to change. Poland has saved Europe before. It is likely she will save Europe again.

When they say "save", of course, they mean: eradicate any and all threats to the Christian, heterosexist agenda. No wonder they chose Poland.

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The European Court of Human Rights ruled yesterday that current Polish president Lech Kaczynski violated the law when he tried to ban 2005's Warsaw Gay Pride. Acting as Warsaw's mayor, the fierce homophobe - and rumored homosexual - refused to allow gay men and women to show their pride, thus sparking a two-year legal battle.

In their statement, the court ruled:

The positive obligation of a State to secure genuine and effective respect for freedom of association and assembly was of particular importance to those with unpopular views or belonging to minorities, because they were more vulnerable to victimisation.

They found Kaczynski and his staff guilty of three charges: violating freedom of assembly and violating the right to an effective remedy. Kaczynski did not release a statement. Secretary of State Maciej Lopinski, however, mentioned that the president may take further action.

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• Tyra Banks loves Rosie O'Donnell's ta-tas.

• Friday's 20/20 features a Barbara Walters piece on transgender children and their families. Discussing the experience, Walters tells Dan Avery: "I am astounded by their courage. I think these children have a very hard future to face. In some ways it’s heartbreaking, but in other ways it’s uplifting. I had heard of the diagnosis and knew people went through this, but nothing prepared me for the love and sensitivity these people have for their children. That’s what this is about." If only all journalists were so altruistic.

• Colombia grows more than coca. Gay activists have been pushing for expanded rights. And people are getting hooked...

• "Obama The Magic Negro"? How does Rush Limbaugh's butt boy, Paul Shanklin still have a job. Seriously...

• The European Union may be gearing up for a bit of a gay battle with Poland. Our money's on The Union.

• Louis Vuitton and other luxury brands vow to stop hiring such nasty, snotty cunts.

• China plans to establish the world's first women-run city. Men can live there, but they have to relinquish all control to women. The town's slogan? "A woman never makes a mistake. A man can never reject a woman's request." If the man defies a woman's word, he'll be subject to a variety of punishments, like washing dishes. Wait, that's women's work!

• Lily Tomlin will not trade her personal life for a Time cover. You better recognize.

• From here on in, May 17th shall be known as International Day Against Homophobia, or IDAHO. Hey, who you calling a 'ho', fag!

• Speaking of calling people 'hos', CBS canned Don Imus over his oft-repeated "Nappy-Headed Hos" comment. Lesson learned: it doesn't pay to be racist. Well, not forever, at least, because God knows Imus has been a racist since the beginning of time.

• Poor Ann Coulter. She's only number eighty on Boston Phoenix's list of the 100 Unsexiest Men. Better luck next time.

• "European Parliament's a bunch of pussies on Poland", say gay activists. Okay, those weren't their exact words, but you get the idea.

Things in Poland are getting nastier, if you can believe it. You may recall Lurch-like Education Minister Roman Giertych proposed banning gay teachers and, in fact, any gay discussion from the nation's schools - a move that's irked the European Parliament. Well, now, a representative from the "children's rights" ministry has suggested compiling an entire list of gay-verboten professions.

Writing in Poland's Dziennik, Ewa Sowińska insists, We must prepare a list of jobs, where homosexual people will be banned". This move, of course, would stop the sissie scourge, thus giving Poland a step up in the contest for worst human rights violator in history.

Meanwhile, another group of politicians are suggesting a ban on porn, even the straight kind. Under the proposed prohibition, persons found with skin rags will be sentenced to a minimum of one year in jail, where they'll have nothing to do but wank. Really clever.

The plight of Polish gays may seem futile, but there's at least one man determined to stop the evil twins - Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński and President Lech Kaczyński - and their repressive reign of terror: Szymon Niemiec.

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The European Parliament's been all sorts of gay lately. Just last Thursday they came out against Nigeria's proposed ban on all things gay, now there's talk that they'll go after Poland's potential prohibition of queer education.

The controversial measure, says Education Minister Roman Giertych, will help thwart the omnipotent and apparently omnipresent "homosexual agenda" from infiltrating the nation's schools. He also said: "One must limit homosexual propaganda, so that children won't have an improper view of the family." All discussion of "alternative" sexualities would be strictly forbidden, as would openly gay teachers. The European Parliament's civil liberties held a meeting today to discuss the matter.

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Perhaps Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Roman Giertych (pictured, looking charming) and Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov can be friends. They're both European, they're both politicians and they're both adamantly anti-gay. You may recall Luzhkov came under fire and brimstone after referring to faggotry as "satanic".

For his part, the Catholic Giertych told a group of EU education ministers that he wants abortion and homosexuality banned from the entire continent:

If we will not use all our power to strengthen the family, then as a continent there is not future for us. We will be a continent settled by representatives of the Islamic world who care for the family.
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Europe needs changes. Abortion must be banned immediately...Homosexual propaganda must also be limited so children will have the correct view of the family.

No wonder the Polish teacher's union's been calling for his head.