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.
On April 25, 2007, European Parliament called on the Polish government to end it’s anti-gay ways. According to Outrage!’s outspoken Peter Tatchell, the Polish representatives didn’t take too kindly to the political bodies needling:
Polish government ministers refused point blank to accept or debate these criticisms. The Polish delegation stormed out of the European Parliament. We are urging the UK and EU to pressure the Polish government to halt its anti-gay repression and to respect international norms of human rights. The EU and Council of Europe should threaten Poland with sanctions if it goes ahead with the new anti-gay law.
British Youth Council’s spokeswoman, 23-yera old Maeve McGoldrick echoes Tatchell’s social sentiment:
The UK has strong bi-lateral relations with Poland. We call on the UK government to take action within the EU and the Council of Europe to challenge Poland’s anti-gay policies.
Human Rights Watch has also written a petition urging the Polish government to change course. If you want to get your lend your voice, click here. In addition, the European Court of Human Rights declared Poland’s gay pride ban to be a violation of their citizen’s natural rights.
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Gay protesters target Polish Embassy [UK Gay]
Youth demo against homophobia at Polish embassy [Pink News UK]
Paul Raposo
Cool kids, good for them 8^)
You’d think Poland would want to avoid becoming fascists, considering their histry and all.
Adam T.
I am Polish. Let me reassure anyone who may have thoughts to the contrary that the recent actions of the present government in Poland in no way represent the opinions of all Poles at home or abroad.
UPR
Pink fascism in action. Dear Adam, could you please stop pretend that you know what other Polse want? You know very well that if some polll would be made whether homosexual propaganda should be promoted in our schools vast mayority ofPolish people would support such solution. Why do you leftist cannot stop with your lies?
Solomon Grundy
I’m Polish-American and live in the most densely Polish neighborhood in NYC, and I have to agree with UPR that the majority of Poles are indeed homophobic, right-wing religious exremists. Which is all the more reason to protest this disgusting turn of events.
What’s good about this action in London as opposed to the imperialist, misguided Iranian gay protests is that these youth have meaningful personal connections to Poland (such as one of the organizers, Lukasz Konieczka). Something like a million Poles have migrated to London over the past couple years, and a lot of them are enjoying their newfound sexual freedoms (which I can personally attest to since I went to uni there and have, uh, volunteered to help a few learn the true nature of freedom).
The Polish ruling class is just freaking out because with membership in the EU has come liberalization, including a burgeoning Polish queer population. Or openly queer, since before they were just oppressed.
John
Well, they’re just setting themselves up for condemnation from the EU. Even conservative leaders like Angela Merkel and David Cameron are going to find this legislation distasteful. Of course, the Poles could always leave the EU. But I suspect their lust for money is greater than their hatred of homosexuals. They will back down.
Polish
Poland is not anti gay. We had tolerancy march just yesterday and most especially young Poles are tolerant towards gays. Our minister of education is probably miost hated person it our country because he is indeer racist and all and he is a shame to this country. I agree with Adam. Our dumb goverment do not represent what nation thinks.
away with gay
Baloneys, we don’t need gays in Poland, if they don’t like it here, maybe they should move to UK. “Our dumb goverment do not represent what nation thinks.”
Funny, but TNS OBOP research shoved that more than 60% of Poles are against faggot propaganda. 19 th May, tolerance march was the last gay march, since “Kampania Przeciwko Homofobii” is in debt and there are no sponsors who would like to deal with perverts…
Let me tell you, you are on your way to extinction, not just because you can’t have kids…