WARSAW, May 23  –  Defiant gays in Warsaw have pledged that their Pride Parade scheduled for June 11 will go ahead, despite a ban announced last week by the city’s mayor.

“We plan to go ahead anyway,” said Robert Biedroń of Kampania Przeciw Homofobii (Campaign Against Homophobia).

“And it will be legal,” he insisted.

Last week, Mayor of Warsaw, Lech Kaczynski banned the parade, saying that it would “interfere” with the unveiling of a statue to General Stefan Rowecki, the leader of the Polish underground during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw in the Second World War.

Last year, Mayor Kaczynski also banned the parade saying he feared clashes between gay rights groups and opponents who had planned a counter-demonstration.

To have the parade banned for a second consecutive year was simply too much for gays in the Polish capital.

“We have found a legal way round the ban and have decided we will definitely have our Equality Parade,” Biedroń said.

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23 May  2005