■  Tomasz Szypula (right) of Polish NGO KPH (Campaign Against Homophobia) and his partner Jose Alberola take a brief time out from yesterday's parade to pose  in front of the British Embassy which is flying the Rainbow Flag as a gesture of official UK Government solidarity with Polish gay men and women during Warsaw's Equality Parade. photo courtesy KPH, Warsaw

From a special correspondent in Warsaw for Pride

WARSAW, June 8, 2008  –  The ‘Gay Pride’ march, known as Parada Rownosci, or Equality Parade, came out in style onto the main streets of Warsaw yesterday, with considerable acceptance by the wider community and demonstrating the vibrant dynamism of the Polish capital which has suffered like no other – and deserves freedom like no other.

No one knows for sure just how many took part – estimates vary from two to five thousand – in an extravaganza of colour and fun.

In many ways it was a ‘classic’ Pride festival, brimming with colour, music and fun – with drag queens out in force and lesbian and gay couples walking hand in hand.

But there were also ‘straight’ couples and families out to show their support – and their rejection of homophobia in Poland.

Amid the Rainbow Flags, was the historic flag that was flown one the British Embassy in Riga last weekend – the first time a Rainbow Flag had been flowing on a UK embassy anywhere in the world.

There were also flags of other countries – Canada, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands were spotted with the gay European Union flag

And the Union Flag of the UK was waved proudly by Brighton lesbian, Clare Dimyon, who declared, in Polish, to anyone who would listen, that she is Polish by marriage – lesbian marriage – and extremely proud on all counts.

She had extra reason to be proud – as a lesbian, a Brit and as Pole (albeit it by ‘marriage’) as she knew something the other Pride revellers didn’t

Just before the end of the Parade, Pride revellers reacted with total disbelief and amazement as they saw the Rainbow Flag flying over an official looking building. As shouts went up it was realised it was being flown on the official flagpole of the British Embassy alongside the Union Flag.

Clapping and cheers broke out accompanied by the emergence of mobile phones to record this new piece of LGBT history.

Diplomatic protocol was ‘adjusted’ to include LGBT people and to honour Warsaw Pride, its organisers and participants – to send out a message of support to Polish LGBT persons and to celebrate the achievement of the development of Pride in Poland.

As previously reported, at 4pm on Friday, HM’s Ambassador to Poland, Ric Todd, raised the Rainbow Flag on the official flagpole beside the Union Flag.

“This small gesture is a symbol of the British Embassy’s commitment to equality and acceptance for all,” he said.  “This weekend’s Pride March will be a celebration of diversity in Poland, Europe and beyond.

This goes one better than the first-ever raising of the rainbow flag over the British Embassy in Riga last week in a gesture that delighted the Latvian gay community and their families and friends.

An excited young Polish lesbian summed up the mood on seing the Raibow Flag on the Embassy flagpole:  “Amazing!  I couldn’t believe... they did this for us? We know [the British] are with us!  Wow!  Will you take my photograph underneath.”

And there were more comments.  Like the one posted on Pink News.

“Thank you Great Britain.  I had tears in my eyes when I saw our [rainbow] flag in front of your embassy today,” wrote Polish gay activist Szymon Niemiec, who from 2001 to 2004 was prime organiser of Warsaw Gay Pride Events and founder of The Equality Parade. [see also Szymon Niemiec’s blog.  Photos of Warsaw Pride by Szymon Niemiec are HERE]

Gay men and women converged on Warsaw from across Europe – some from the UK including one a ‘civilly partnered’ male Polish couple from Manchester.

And what of the response from Warsaw residents?  There was the usual crowd of ‘No Priders’, a combination of sincere Christians who handed out leaflets with sweets and young, largely male fascists who were cordoned off by the police and not much larger than a similar group that turned out at Brighton Pride in 2007.

One elderly lady engaged in a conversation telling a British lesbian she had no business in Poland, and saw no irony in carrying out the conversation in Polish.

Many others looked thoroughly bemused – but plenty joined in the fun smiling and waving their support.

It seemed that plenty are tired of being labelled homophobic by virtue of being Polish.

Many people asked “why you are here in Poland?”.  And when the Equality Parade was the reply there were plenty of ‘thumbs up’, the international symbol of approval.

The pace of change is hard for western Europeans to appreciate but everything is changing – and fast.

It is three years since the then Mayor of Warsaw, Lech Kacyznski – now President of Poland, banned the parade … and only a little over a year since Polish LGBT won a massive victory in the European Court of Human Rights which declared Gay Pride Parades and absolute human right across Europe – a judgement, which is being used to assist those even in Moldova, which aspires to European Union membership.

The Parada Rownosci offices have been a constant hive of activity, with a small group of individuals who are so committed they even sleep in the office so as not to lose two hours a day that would be wasted by travelling.

Constant re-arrangement of the offices allows for visitors to be accommodated in accordance with the strong values of Polish hospitality with meals being provided communally and everyone pitching in.

“Being here is a total inspiration,” Clare Dimyon said.

“I have watched them work like Trojans.  The creativity and energy is just astonishing..

“Their team work and commitment is deeply moving, it has at times moved me to tears.

“It has really made me proud even to be associated with them, with young LGBT like this our future is assured in Poland and in the rest of the EU.

I don’t know that I have ever felt this proud …”

She winked with a broad grin, saying: “Viva Polska! Viva Nowa Polska!”.

SEE ALSO

British Embassy in Warsaw Flies Rainbow Flag in Support of Gay Pride.  The British Embassy in Warsaw will fly the rainbow flag alongside the Union Flag this weekend in support of Warsaw Pride 2008. (UK Gay News, June 6, 2008)