Poland just underwent its most consequential election since it was under communist rule, with opposition parties winning enough seats to oust the country’s far-right government.
That’s great news for Poland’s LGBTQ+ community, which has been increasingly demonized in recent years. According to a study, Poland is the worst country in the European Union to be gay, ahead of only Romania and Bulgaria.
“After eight years of horrible right-wing government that was targeting the LGBT minority like never before, now we wake up to this reality,” said Bart Straszewski, one of Poland’s most notable LGBTQ+ activists.
While that’s cause for celebration in and of itself, Poland’s gay community has another reason to be grateful this week.
Meet Łukasz Litewka, a new member of parliament representing the country’s left-wing alliance, Lewica.
Doesn’t he just look like freedom?!
Litewka, 30, caught the public’s eye with an innovative and kind-hearted social media campaign centered around homeless dogs. Some of his campaign posters even advertised dogs who need adopting.
“When designing my media, I noticed a lot of unused space,” he posted on Instagram, courtesy of Google Translate. “Instead of political leaders, I invited those who should have been elected a long time ago.
“Dora, Lili, Misiek and 7 other four-legged friends.”
Awww!!!
Three opposing parties promising to restore Poland’s democratic institutions won 54% of the vote, giving them a plurality. The ruling Law and Justice party, which has been sliding Poland into authoritarianism over the last eight years, garnered 35% of the vote.
Though Law and Justice was the single party with the most votes, they still lost their majority in parliament. The opposition leader who won the election, former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, says he wants to return to his old post.
Election turnout was massive, with 72.9% of Polish people voting. It was the highest turnout since 1989, when voters toppled the country’s communist regime.
And the credit goes to the country’s young people. Exit polls found that a higher proportion of 18 to 29-year-olds came out to vote than people over 60.
Many of those votes went for Lewica, which is considered more left-wing than the other two main opposition parties, the centrist Civic Coalition and Third Way.
It’s expected those three parties will form a coalition, assuming Poland’s right-wing president, Andrzej Duda, follows his constitutional duty and proposes a new prime minister acceptable to the opposition majority (where have we seen this kind of thing before)?
As for Litewka, the former city councilor promises to carry a strong voice. He enjoys more than 60,000 followers on Instagram, and it’s fair to say many of them are admirers.
Oh he can bury the lede
— radek (@RadekCdydd) October 17, 2023
🤭
— Gohahwei (@Gohahwei1) October 17, 2023
This has reached international gay news QUICK 💅
— Dr Aleksandra Gajowy (she/her) (@DrAGajowy) October 17, 2023
It can’t be overstated how important Sunday’s results are for LGBTQ+ people in Poland. They’ve been subjected to dehumanizing discrimination in recent years, including the development of supposed “LGBT-free zones.”
For the first time in nearly 10 years, there is hope for gay people in Poland. Litewka is the perfect poster child for these changing times.
Come to mention it, he would look pretty good on a poster, huh?
ShaverC
I was just there about a month ago and noticed quite a few rainbow flags and pins, especially in Krakow.
Fahd
This is indeed terrific news. The EU has frozen mega Euros waiting for Poland to undo its anti-democratic judicial reforms etc. A new government under Tusk would restore the rule of law and get those huge sums unfrozen and on their way to Poland.
As mentioned above, one big “duda” is whether Andrzej Duda might do something to obfuscate and delay a transition to a Tusk-led government. Let’s hope and pray Duda does the right thing or is unsuccessful in trying to mess things up.
Also, a Tusk-led government wouldn’t be bros with Victor Orbán, the Hungarian (wannabe) dictator. If Hungary can´t rely on Poland having it´s back, maybe there´ll be some positive change there too.
Now, lets see what is going to happen in the U.S.A.
dbmcvey
This is really great to hear in a world of terrible news.
greekboy
I read the first few words…Poland just underwent its most consequential ERECTION and I’m sticking to my reading. Hell, after this guys pics I might be sticking to everything
inbama
An interesting turn of events worth noting.
Poland, which did not accept masses of Muslim refugees turns to moderation, while much of Europe, in horror of the masses of Muslims celebrating Hamas in their streets, are experiencing refugee regret and turning nationalist.
Also in the streets everywhere, we see small groups flying the “Progress” flag with signs like “Queers for Palestine” (which is even less intelligent than “Blacks for Trump.”) This is the result of “intersectionality” and leftist “identity politics”: LGBTQIA+ activists supporting groups that jail and kill us for being gay.
Bizarre and dangerous times.
ShaverC
Well noted.
Persian_Prince
As a Muslim I am disgusted by your ill informed uneducated comment ! “Pinkwashing is the symptom, settler-colonialism is the root sickness. Recognizing pinkwashing as colonial violence can help us understand how Israel divides, oppresses, and erases Palestinians on the basis of gender and sexuality
LumpyPillows
Persian_Prince, I am disgusted by your ill-informed and uneducated comment. You do know the Jews were there long before being pushed out by Muslims, right? You do know there was never a Palestine, right? The Muslims are the original colonizers espousing genocide to this very day – disgusting. You do realize Hamas hides its weapons behind civilians and started this war with a horrible terrorist strike, right? You do realize how it is Hamas that divides, oppresses, and erases Palestinians on the basis of gender and sexuality. The only place in the Middle East where you can be openly gay is Israel. You are one sick puppy.
Kangol2
Re: Tusk and Civil Coalition: “Tusk, leader of the opposition Civic Coalition, and Polish media allege that the [ultraconservative] government admitted about 130,000 Muslim migrants last year despite its anti-migrant statements, aimed chiefly at non-Christians. They say the government is working to relax restrictions and allege that corruption and pressure from international work agencies are involved.” (AP, September 7, 2023)
And lo and behold, despite that obviously slanted appeal, Tusk’s coalition won. So, apparently Poland is accepting “masses of Muslims” and has received a total of 972,000 migrants and refugees, or 2.4% of its population, over the last 10 years (2012-2022), despite official statements, from countries with sizable Muslim populations as well. (Cf. Norwegian Refugee Council)
As for Ukraine, “Some 1.3 million Ukrainians — mostly women and children — are registered as residing in Poland.” (AP, September 7, 2023)
LumpyPillows
I am encouraged by this. Unexpected. Poland is becoming or already is the most powerful military in Europe. It matters what they do going forward. Let’s hope they do not backslide in their opposition to Russian hegemony.
Kangol2
“Poland is becoming or already is the most powerful military in Europe.” Like seriously?
Did you forget the militaries of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Turkiye, and…Russia? Reality, calling Lumpy, pick up the phone!
LumpyPillows
Kang, seriously, have you been following anything in Europe. Look it up.
I mean, I know you like to be a dick to me, but seriously.
Kangol2
@Lumpy, it’s not trying to be a “dick to you,” but seriously, even with its build-up, Poland’s army cannot yet compare to those of the UK (which also has nukes), France (which also has nukes), Germany, Italy, Turkiye, and, even after its debacle in Ukraine, Russia (which has one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world)!
According to Euronews, Poland says it hopes to have the “most powerful military in Europe,” but so far, in terms of troops, tanks, weaponry, etc., Russia still dominates, according to Global Firepower’s 2023 Military Strength Ranking, followed by the UK, France and Italy.
According to Yahoo! Finance, the strongest militaries in Europe are, in order: the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Italy, and Germany. So not me being a “dick” to you, but just restating stats that are out there. Whatever the case, a stronger Poland, especially led by a center-left coalition, is good for NATO and its neighbors, including Ukraine.