Gay rights in Poland

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Homosexual sex was legalised in 1932.[1] At the same time the age of consent was equalized with that of heterosexual partners. Homosexual prostitution was legalized in 1969. Homosexuals are not banned from military service. There is no law against gays. Homosexuality was deleted from the list of diseases in 1991. The political parties SLD, UP, SDPL, Demokraci.pl, Zieloni 2004, APP RACJA and other leftist parties support Gay Rights.

Contents 1 Protection based on sexual orientation in law 2 Recognition of same sex couples 3 Gay life in Poland 4 See also 5 Links

[edit] Protection based on sexual orientation in law

Anti-discrimination laws were added to the Labour Code in 2003. The Polish Constitution guarantees equality in accordance with law and prohibition based on "any reason" which also covers sexual orientation, although this has not been tested in the courts. The proposal of inclusion of the prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in the constitution in 1995 was rejected, after strong Catholic Church objections.

[edit] Recognition of same sex couples

There is no legal recognition of same-sex couples. In late 2003 Polish Senator Maria Szyszkowska proposed civil unions for same-sex couples, called "Registered Partnerships", similar to French PACS. On 3 December 2004 the Senate (the upper chamber of the Polish Parliament) adopted the Civil Unions project. The legislation had not passed both houses of the Parliament prior to the 2005 Parliamentary election and will almost certainly not be revived by the conservative parties which emerged as the majority following the election. It is unlikely that same sex marriages or civil unions will be endorsed in the near future as the nation is 95% Roman Catholic, with 75% practicing. The Church in Poland also advises on laws and holds a great deal of power, far more than in western Catholic countries.

In 2004, Warsaw's City Transport Department decision to allow cohabitating partners of gay and lesbian employees to travel free on the city's public transport system was the first case of recognition of same sex couples in Poland.

[edit] Gay life in Poland

Poland is currently one of the most intolerant countries in Europe regarding gay rights, with 89% of the population stating that they consider homosexuality abnormal. Additionally, only half believe homosexuality should be tolerated.[2] Although tolerance increased in the 1990s and early 2000s, mainly amongst younger people, those with better education and those living in larger cities, the introduction of a conservative government in 2005 had led to greater and more overt discrimination against LGBT minorities.^{[citation needed]} Despite this, there exists a vibrant gay scene with many gay clubs all around the country. More than thirty gay organisations exist, but the Catholic Church, the influence of which is very strong in Polish society, still strongly opposes homosexuality.^{[citation needed]}

In 2004 and 2005, Warsaw together with other Polish cities, including Kraków, have blocked gay pride parades citing various reasons including the likelihood of counter-demonstrations or the interference with religious or national holidays, or the lack of a permit, (1) Despite this, about 2,500 people marched on June 11, 2005. There were 10 arrests. The parade was condemned by Mayor Kaczyński, who has said that allowing an official Gay Pride event in Warsaw would promote a "homosexual lifestyle". (2) In October of 2005, Lech Kaczyński was elected President of Poland. The views of Kaczyński and the government of Poland, especially suggesting that gays shouldn't be teachers and calling homosexuality “unnatural,” have caused tensions between Poland and the European Union. (3)

An opinion poll conducted in late 2006 at the request of the European Commission indicated Polish public opinion was generally opposed to same-sex marriage and to adoption by gay couples. The 66 poll found that 74% and 89% of Poles respectively were opposed to same-sex marriage and adoption by gay couples. Of the EU member states surveyed only Latvia and Greece had higher levels of opposition [3].

[edit] See also

• Civil unions in Poland
• Co-ed Revolutionary Anarchist Liberation Union

[edit] Links

• Amnesty International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights in Poland and Latvia, 15 November 2006