POLAND

Euro MP: Homophobic Polish Prime Minister Is Not Welcome in UK

 
 


LONDON, November 23, 2005  –  As the Polish Prime Minister, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, makes his first official visit to the UK since his election tomorrow (Thursday  November 24), London’s Green MEP, Jean Lambert, has spoken out in anger against Marcinkiewicz’s homophobic policies and the treatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people in Poland.
 

  


 

Shortly after being named Prime Minister, Marcinkiewicz declared homosexuality “unnatural” before announcing the abolition of the Office of Plenipotentiary for Equal Status, a key institution for combating discrimination against women and LGBT people.

Ms Lambert, who is a member of European Parliament’s Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian rights, warned that Marcinkiewicz and his discriminatory policies, would not be welcome in the UK.

“Mr Marcinkiewicz’s actions following his election have caused a big step backwards in the development of Poland as a democratic country,” she said today.

“I am outraged that anyone, especially an elected Prime Minister, would tolerate and actually promote homophobia. By not condemning homophobic acts Poland will be in danger of entering into a cycle of violence.

“The violent treatment of peaceful LGBT marchers by Police in Poland last weekend adds to this concern and further proves that LGBT communities and those that support them, are slowly loosing their freedom of speech.”

On his arrival to the UK Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz will give a lecture at Chatham House.  Outside, Peter Tatchell, a world famous LGBT rights activist and founder of OUTRAGE will lead a protest against the events in Poland and the position of the Polish Government.

“Everyone is equal despite their sexuality, gender or race.  If we are serious about justice then we need to ensure that Mr Marcinkiewicz’s actions are reversed and the people of Poland are given the rights they deserve,” the MEP insisted.

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November 24:
UK:  Polish PM Slinks in Back Door to Avoid London Gay Protest.  Poland’s homophobic Prime Minister, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, made an undignified entrance via a side street to avoid gay rights protesters picketing his lecture at Chatham House in London this afternoon (November 24).

Poland:  Marches of Solidarity with Gays Planned Throughout Poland This Weekend.  Peaceful demonstrations are to be staged in a number of Polish cities this weekend, it was announced today.  Demonstrations, in solidarity with Poznań where police in full riot gear were brought in to break up a peaceful “March for Equality” last weekend, are to be staged in Elblag, Gdańsk , Krakow, Lodz and the capital, Warsaw.

November 23:
Poland:  Gay Lobby Should Undergo Medical Treatment, Says Polish MP.  An ultra-conservative MP of Poland's ruling right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party has said the “the state should statutorily ban making any positive remarks about homosexuality or promoting it.”

November 22:
Poznan Update: Dramatic Video Footage Shows Extent of Police Violence During Gay Demo.  London Protest Set for Thursday.  ILGA-Europe Protests to Barroso. Dramatic – and unedited – video footage of the problems in Poznan has been released by Indymedia.pl.

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Iran:  Latest Executions in Iran for Gay Conduct an Outrage – HRW.  Iran’s execution of two men last week for homosexual conduct highlights a pattern of persecution of gay men that stands in stark violation of the rights to life and privacy, Human Rights Watch said today.

November 21:
USA:  Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference Calls for Worldwide End to HR Abuses.  LGBT elected and appointed leaders from across the United States and around the world passed an historic resolution in Seattle this weekend at the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference calling upon “all nations and governments to adopt a vocal, clear and consistent policy on international human rights abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people that includes a call on other countries to abolish sodomy laws.”

Poland:  The Battle of Poznan:  A Gay Suspect’s View of the Poznan Events.  By Tomasz Szypula.  I am 25.  I was born four months before the Solidarity began its revolution in August 1980.  The only Poland I can remember is time after 1989.  The time of democracy – at least until last Saturday.

November 19:
Poland:  Riot Police Detain, Interrogate 65 at Gay Demo in Poznań.  “They were dragging us around on the street” - Demonstrator.  The police in Poznań today briefly detained and interrogated 65 demonstrators during the March of Equality organized by organizations of leftist and gay activists in Poznań, western Poland.

Poland:  Today’s Gay March in Poznań Now Legally Banned.  The March of Equality and Tolerance, dubbed ‘Gay Pride’, due to be staged in Poznan, western Poland, this afternoon (Saturday) has been officially banned.

November 18: 
UK:  Gay Murder Team in London To Be Disbanded.  A top police murder investigation team, involved in work on high profile gay-bashing murders, looks set to be scrapped, Outrage! has learned.

UK:  Gay Group Demands Clarification on Homophobia from DUP.  The remarks of Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Councillor, Maurice Mills, in which he described Hurricane Katrina as being sent by God to punish lesbian and gay people and to prevent the gay Southern Decadence weekend in New Orleans from going ahead, are “stupid, irresponsible and rooted in deep-seated homophobia”, the Rainbow Project in Northern Ireland said today.

UK:  Trade Union Conference for Gay Members Breaks New Ground.  When UNISON open their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender National Conference here this afternoon, a little bit of trade union history will be made.

 

 

Posted: 23 November 2005 at 15:30 (UK time)
 

 

 
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