“Unfortunately, Duda’s victory is a very bad omen for the future.” Jakub Gawron, one of the most important Polish activists for the rights of LGBTQIA people, is obviously disappointed by the result of the presidential election: even if he did not achieve the desired triumph, Andrzej Duda obtained the majority of the votes and will continue to be the country’s president. It’s also an important achievement for his party, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (Law and Justice, PiS), which has based the election campaign on homophobia and fear of diversity. Jakub Gawron spoke with Il Grande Colibrì about the serious situation in Poland.
What does the victory of Duda mean?
The president’s veto will not stop the announced legal solutions aimed at controlling foreign funding of non-governmental organizations, prohibiting sexual and anti-discrimination education (under the guise of fighting “LGBT ideology“), reorganizing the judiciary (allowing verification of all judges by politicized bodies). Duda’s victory showed that dehumanization of the LGBTI community is profitable. It may embolden other authoritarian politicians in the region to reach for homophobic rhetoric.
Read also: The Polish LGBT Community Fights the Right-wing Government
The Rainbow Map by ILGA and the LGBT survey by FRA (Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union) have recently been released. ILGA places Poland in the last place among the member countries of the European Union in terms of LGBTQIA rights. The Fundamental Rights Agency survey shows a complex context where the national government does not effectively combat prejudice and intolerance against LGBTQIA people. Can you describe the situation?
The state doesn’t recognize same-sex relationships. The gender transition procedure in Poland still requires suing parents. Since March last year, local governments have adopted about 100 resolutions against the “LGBT ideology“ and Local Government Charter of Family Rights. They differ in language, but they have the same purpose – to discourage local government employees from any pro-equality and anti-discrimination actions. They were approved mostly thanks to the votes of PiS councillors, in the course of electoral campaigns to the European Parliament and the national parliament (Sejm and Senat).
Did the election campaign worsen the situation?
PiS returned in the presidential campaign to this strategy of attacking the LGBTQIA community. As part of it, Duda announced that “LGBT are not people but ideology,” and then signed the “Family Card,” which entailed, among other provisions, the fight against the LGBT ideology in schools, and later sent to the parliament a draft amendment to the constitution prohibiting adoption by same-sex couples. Of course, this is accompanied by a massive hatred campaign on national broadcaster Telewizja Polska (Polish Television; TVP). It causes constant fear among many people from the Polish LGBTQIA community.
What are you afraid of?
LGBTQIA people ask themselves questions like: “What else will the Polish state go to? Ban on equality marches? Prohibition of LGBTQIA organizations? Firing from work due to not hiding sexual orientation? Punishment for supporting youth struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts caused by state homophobic and transphobic harassment conducted at all possible levels – from teachers, through state television watched by parents to the president of the country?” I feel almost physical fear myself because this propaganda also affects my family. I felt as if the fascist state propaganda machine had invaded my immediate surroundings. So when this state propaganda is intensifying, I feel the anxiety of my close family.
Read also: Anti-LGBT Municipalities in Poland: Sign Now Our Petition!
Even during the COVID-19 emergency, the Polish Government tried to launch attacks on civil rights. I am thinking of the attempt to further restrict access to abortion, and the bill called “stop paedophilia” which is an attempt to ban sex education. All this happened while the pandemic led to the cancellation of the equality marches…
Equality marches and Warsaw Parade have been cancelled. In their place were organized rallies against the dehumanization of LGBTQIA people by president Duda. We also cancelled the equality march in Rzeszów not only because of the pandemic but also because of the ambiguous reaction of the police. At other protests, people from police selectively imposed draconian administrative penalties for allegedly violating sanitary requirements on those protesting against the government. We do not want to expose the youngest people participating in the march. They are not seasoned activists armed in legal knowledge.
A few months ago you told us that the Ordo Iuris association wanted to report you because of the Atlas of Hate campaign: did they really do it?
A simple, pictorial representation of homophobic official documents on the map has significantly increased public interest in the subject of anti-LGBTQIA resolutions in Poland. Screenshots circulated in the media, stirring up lively discussions in the comments. Anti-LGBTQIA resolutions, which were to be limited only to the local electorate, became known throughout the world. I suppose that Atlas of Hate slowed down the pace of adopting subsequent such resolutions.
And this caused direct consequences for me. Ordo Iuris denounced me on behalf of some local governments – counties (powiats) in Opoczno, Przasnysz, Tarnów, Przysucha, Łowicz and the Gromadka commune. They sue me for “violating their good name” by showing them in the Atlas. In their view, excluding LGBTQIA projects from local government projects is not homophobic. The five municipalities will demand apologies in the building of European Parliament and Polska Agencja Prasowa (Polis Press Agency; PAP) and financial compensation for “pro-family” associations in a total sum of 120 000 Polish złotys (30 000 USD / 27 000 EUR).
Read also: “Our Atlas of Hate Denounces Anti-LGBT Polish Municipalities”
Have there been developments?
The first trial, due to the powiat in Przysucha, has already begun in court in Radom. Cases will be considered in the courts for the properties of the plaintiffs, so we will be expected to travel throughout the country – to Tarnów, Łódź, Ostrołęka, Piotrków Trybunalski and Jelenia Góra.
Atlas of Hate and Il Grande Colibrì are among the promoters of the campaign “To Poland with love”. Can you tell us about this campaign from your point of view, about the importance of twin cities taking a stand and how useful do you think international attention and pressure can be on the situation of the LGBTQIA community in Poland?
This petition was a very important campaign that helped consolidate the topic of “LGBT-free zones” in public debate. That reminded the councillors that their resolutions were noticed by international opinion. Range of their anti-LGBT resolutions is not limited to the local electorate, but goes beyond Poland and draws the attention of partner cities and EU institutions about the “LGBT-free zones“.
Valerio Barbini
©2020 Il Grande Colibrì
images: elaboration from The White House (CC0) / Il Grande Colibrì / elaboration from mathiaswasik (CC BY-SA 2.0)
