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Intolerance Toward Gays and Lesbians in Poland

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Abstract

The protection of rights of freedom of speech and assembly for gays and lesbians in Poland has come under greater international scrutiny because of the mismanagement of peaceful demonstrations throughout Poland in 2005. An overview and context of the political, economic, and social transformation of Poland in the 1990s shows a flourish of activity among gays and lesbians as the economic and political spheres open, as well as weaker law enforcement during the rapid change to capitalism and democracy. Although society has opened dramatically and tolerance has grown recently, the concept of protecting minority rights for gays and lesbians in Poland continues to be weak in public opinion, laws, and the top sources of opinion.

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Notes

  1. The demonstrations were called the Equality Parade, Marches for Tolerance or Diversity. While the aims were marginally different and often included diverse groups that are not necessarily associated with gay rights, this article will refer to them collectively as public demonstrations by gays and lesbians, as this is the uniting element.

  2. Aleksandar Štulhofer and Theo Sandford, “Introduction: Sexuality and Gender in Times of Transition,” in Aleksandar Štulhofer and Theo Sandford (eds.), Sexuality and Gender in Postcommunist Eastern Europe and Russia (New York: The Haworth Press, Inc., 2005, p. 1).

  3. H. Świada-Ziemba quoted in ibid.

  4. Ibid, pp. 6, 7, 10.

  5. Katarzyna Adamska, Ludzie obok: lesbijki i geje w Polsce (Toruń: Pracownia Duszycki, 1998, pp. 48–49).

  6. Quoted in ibid, p. 49.

  7. Ibid.

  8. Timothy Snyder, The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569–1999 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003, p. 237).

  9. Tomasz Szarota, “The National Debate on Jedwabne,” in William Brand (ed.), Thou Shalt Not Kill: Poles on Jedwabne (Warsaw: Towarzystwo “WIĘŹ,” 2001, pp. 281–290).

  10. See the exchange between religious journalist Cezary Gawryś and the anonymous gay psychologist, Tomasz G., “Męska rozmowa,” in Katarzyna Jabłońska and Cezary Gawryś (eds.), Męska rozmowa: Chrześcijanie a homoseksualizm (Warszawa: Biblioteka “Więzi”, 2003, pp. 158–216).

  11. Krzysztof Kliszyński, “A Child of a Young Democracy: The Polish Gay Movement, 1989–1999”, in Helena Flam (ed.), Pink, Purple, Green: Women’s, Religious, Environmental and Gay/Lesbian Movements in Central Europe Today (New York: Columbia University Press, 2001, p. 161).

  12. Jacek Prusak SJ, “Homoseksualizm z perspektywy Kościoła katolickiego,” in Katarzyna Jabłońska and Cezary Gawryś (eds.), Męska rozmowa: Chrześcijanie a homoseksualizm (Warszawa: Biblioteka “Więzi”, 2003, p. 11).

  13. Dorota Majka-Rostek, Mniejszość kulturowa w warunkach pluralizacji: socjologiczna analiza sytuacji homoseksualistów polskich (Wrocław: Wydawn. Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, 2002, pp. 197–201).

  14. Mark Ungar, “State Violence and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (lgbt) Rights”, in New Political Science, Vol. 22, No. 1 (2000), p. 75.

  15. Kliszyński, “A Child of a Young Democracy,” p. 162.

  16. Majka-Rostek, Mniejszość kulturowa w warunkach pluralizacji, pp. 201–202.

  17. Amnesty International Poland, “Polska: Prawa mniejszości seksualnych zagrożone,” 24 November 2005, at http://www.amnesty.org.pl/index.php/ai/content/view/full/3276.

  18. The Constitution of the Republic of Poland, 2 April 1997, at http://www.sejm.gov.pl/prawo/konst/angielski/kon1.htm.

  19. Kliszyński, “A Child of a Young Democracy,” p. 165–166.

  20. The Constitution of the Republic of Poland.

  21. Amnesty International Poland, “Polska: Prawa mniejszości seksualnych zagrożone,” 24 November 2005, at http://www.amnesty.org.pl/index.php/ai/content/view/full/3276.

  22. Polish Labor Code, available from http://www.kodeks-pracy.com.pl/.

  23. Patrycja Pogodzinska, “Recognizing sexual orientation in Polish law – from combating discrimination to claiming new rights.” Conference paper presented at “Gays’ and Lesbians’ Rights in an Enlarged European Union,” Brussels, 3 and 4 December 2004, p. 2. Available at http://www.mojeprawa.info/akty-prawne.html.

  24. Ibid, p. 3.

  25. Zbyszek Sypniewski and Błażeja Warkocki, “Wstęp,” in Zbyszek Sypniewski and Błażeja Warkocki (eds.), Homofobia po polsku (Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Sic!, 2004, pp. 5–7).

  26. Adamska, Ludzie Obok, pp. 29–33.

  27. Sypniewski and Warkocki, “Wstęp,” p. 7.

  28. See articles reprinted in Sypniewski and Warkocki, Homofobia po polsku.

  29. Niech nas zobaczą; available at http://www.niechnaszobacza.art.pl.

  30. Paweł Leszkowicz and Tomek Kitliński, Miłość i demokracja. Rozważania o kwestii homoseksualnej w Polsce (Kraków: Wydawnictwo Aureus, 2005, pp. 7–22).

  31. Sypniewski and Warkocki, “Wstęp,” p. 10.

  32. Results based on a random sample of 1,021 adults residing in Poland. Michał Wenzel, “Akceptacja Praw Dla Gejów i Lesbijek i Społeczny Dystans Wobec Nich,” CBOS 7/2005, availble at http://www.cbos.pl/.

  33. Results based on a random sample of 1,018 adults residing in Poland. Michał Wenzel, “Prawo do Publicznych Demonstracji Gejów i Lesbijek,” CBOS 12/2005, availble from http://www.cbos.pl/.

  34. Sypniewski and Warkocki, “Wstęp,” p. 7.

  35. Tomasz Żukowski echoes this sentiment, complaining that “liberalism never took [root] in Poland.” Tomasz Żukowski “Agresywni i Roszczeniowi,” in Zbyszek Sypniewski and Błażeja Warkocki (eds.), Homofobia po polsku (Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Sic!, 2004), p. 61.

  36. Robert Biedroń, “‘Nieerotyczny dotyk.’ O hipokryzji i homofobii kościoła katolickiego w Polsce,” in Zbyszek Sypniewski and Błażeja Warkocki (eds.), Homofobia po polsku (Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Sic!, 2004), pp. 209–10.

  37. Jacek Prusak SJ, “Homoseksualizm z perspektywy Kościoła katolickiego,” in Katarzyna Jabłońska and Cezary Gawryś (eds.), Męska rozmowa: Chrześcijanie a homoseksualizm (Warszawa: Biblioteka “Więzi”, 2003, pp. 12–4).

  38. Ibid, p. 15; and Tadeusz Ślipko, “Homoseksualizm z punktu widzenia etyki katolickiej,” in Bogusław Sobczak (ed.), Rewolucja homoseksualna: homoseksualizm w etyce katolickiej, polityce i jego społeczne konsekwencje (Warszawa: Inicjatywa Wydawnicza “Ars Politica”, 2005), pp. 7–8.

  39. Cathechism of the Catholic Church, available from http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm#IV.

  40. Katarzyna Jabłońska and Cezary Gawryś (eds.), Męska rozmowa: Chrześcijanie a homoseksualizm (Warszawa: Biblioteka “Więzi”, 2003). Mateusz Lubawski, “Męska rozmowa. Kościół wobec homoseksualizmu: książki,” Tygodnik Powszechny 2003-11-16; available at http://tygodnik.onet.pl/1546,1139823,dzial.html. Adam Boniecki, “Spór o homoseksualizm. Debata ‘TP’,” Tygodnik Powszechny 2005-07-03; available at http://tygodnik.onet.pl/1547,1235338,dzial.html.

  41. See the International Healing Foundation; http://www.gaytostraight.org/.

  42. American Psychiatric Association; http://www.psych.org/psych_pract/copptherapyaddendum83100.cfm.

  43. See interviews with women taking part in “Odwaga.” Katarzyna Jabłońska, “Ja to nie jestem ja,” in Katarzyna Jabłońska and Cezary Gawryś (eds.), Męska rozmowa: Chrześcijanie a homoseksualizm (Warszawa: Biblioteka “Więzi”, 2003), pp. 74–99.

  44. Biedroń, “Nieerotyczny dotyk,” p. 215.

  45. Tadeusz Ślipko, “Homoseksualizm z punktu widzenia etyki katolickiej,” p. 8.

  46. Biedroń, “‘Nieerotyczny dotyk,’” p. 214.

  47. Maciej Sandecki, “Obrońca Rydzyka Jarosław Kaczyński,” Gazeta Wyborcza (2 May 2006), at http://www.serwisy.gazeta.pl/kraj/1,63546,3318595.html.

  48. Magdalena Kula, “Czy minister Giertych ma pojęcie o edukacji?” Gazeta Wyborcza (6 May 2006), at http://www.serwisy.gazeta.pl/kraj/1,73115,3326578.html.

  49. Sypniewski and Warkocki, “Wstęp,” p. 10.

  50. Interia.pl, “Jestem gwarancją spokoju,” 7/10/2005. Available at http://www.wybory2005.interia.pl/aktualnosci/news?inf=674147.

  51. Majka-Rostek, Mniejszość kulturowa w warunkach pluralizacji, p. 199.

  52. Adamska, Ludzie obok, pp. 29–33.

  53. Pogodzinska, “Recognizing sexual orientation in Polish law,” p. 1.

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    Marta Selinger

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Selinger, M. Intolerance Toward Gays and Lesbians in Poland. Hum Rights Rev 9, 15–27 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12142-007-0026-2

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