Tag: Poland

The Polish newspaper Gazeta Polska is under fire after it was revealed that it would distribute ‘LGBT-free zone’ stickers in its next edition, which is due to be published on 24 July. The stickers show the rainbow flag, but with a black cross superimposed over it. The move was criticised by many, including the United States Ambassador for Poland, Georgette Mosbacher, who wrote on Facebook: “I am disappointed and concerned that some groups use stickers to promote hatred and intolerance. We...

A magazine in Poland is going to be distributing “LGBT-free zone” stickers to their readers. Gazeta Polska is a far-right nationalist weekly magazine in Poland that supports the Law and Justice Party, which is anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant. The magazine said that it will be distributing stickers that say “LGBT-FREE ZONE” and show a rainbow flag with an “X” through it in next week’s issue. Pavel Rabiej, deputy president of Warsaw and a centrist, said on Twitter that he would file a complaint...

Brussels unveiled new measures on Wednesday intended to toughen its response to backsliding concerning rule of law in some EU countries. The European Union (EU) has clashed with Romania, Poland and Hungary in recent years over alleged breaches. The core measure will be annual reports on the state of the rule of law in each state, which the European Commission says will help identify problems earlier. In a similar vein, it will further develop the EU Justice Scoreboard — a tool measuring...

A magazine in Poland is going to be distributing “LGBT-free zone” stickers to their readers. Gazeta Polska is a far-right nationalist weekly magazine in Poland that supports the Law and Justice Party, which is anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant. The magazine said that it will be distributing stickers that say “LGBT-FREE ZONE” and show a rainbow flag with an “X” through it in next week’s issue. Pavel Rabiej, deputy president of Warsaw and a centrist, said on Twitter that he would file a complaint...

Europe faces a summer of institutional infighting if Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen fails to secure the necessary support in today’s confirmation vote in the European Parliament. If MEPs reject her candidacy, the European Council has 30 days to propose a new nominee. But with time running out to solve urgent issues, including Brexit, European leaders will be keen to move quickly to avoid political logjam. An emergency EU summit would likely be convened within days to find a replacement for the...

Government officials in at least 30 towns, villages, and regional assemblies throughout the staunchly Catholic country of Poland have declared themselves to be “free of LGBT ideology”. Does this mean these places are “free” of LGBTQ people as well? And what exactly is the supposed “LGBT ideology,” since there are as many “ideologies” as there are LGBTQ people. Unlike Polish officials’ apparent conceptualizations, we do not constitute a monolithic community marching in lockstep. According to the Polish LGBTQ non-profit civil rights...

No one ever accused Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being a liberal. After all, this is the man who has assiduously courted President Trump, going so far as to name a (probably imaginary) development in Israeli-occupied territory “Trump Heights.”  But there’s one big difference between the two: When it came time for Netanyahu to appoint a new Minister of Justice, he turned to Amir Ohana, a political ally with impeccably conservative credentials. Ohana is also gay. Israel’s Minister of Justice,...

Vicious thugs descended on a memorial service for a Polish transgender person who died of suicide, ripping apart a pride flag and attacking mourners. “I’m fed up,” Milo Mazurkiewicz wrote in a Facebook post shortly before ending their own life. “I’m fed up being treated like a piece of shit.” “Sometimes it makes me fight even more, sometimes it makes me want to end it all and stop my life right here. Sometimes it’s just makes me want to cry,” they wrote. But...

Jakub Kwiecinski and Dawid Mycek are back, and this time they’re getting engaged… 100 times. Instinct Magazine has covered this Polish Lip Syncing Couple several times before. From when they made a tribute to George Michael, to when they got surprised at the International LGBTQ Awards Show, to when they got married in Portugal, and when they initially said goodbye to video making. But, it looks like the boys are back again, and this time it’s to make a point about...

Biedroń is an openly gay politician where 70% of the population is against same-sex relationships Poland’s first openly gay mayor, might just become the country’s first ever openly gay president. Robert Biedroń is throwing his hat in the presidential campaign ahead of a national vote in 2020. Even though the election is a few years away, recent polls show one in every four Poles is willing to vote for Biedroń. This is a remarkable achievement in a country where between 50 and...

The song asks Polish people to 'love us for Christmas it is the right time - when love conquers hate and fear' Against all odds, a gay couple has taken the top spot on Poland’s charts with an adorable Christmas song celebrating LGBTI families. Jakub Kwiecinski and David Mycek became well known in their home country after making a lip sync video to Roxette’s ‘Some Other Summer’. The video got half a million views but also threw the couple into the...

We started our little love affair about 14 months ago in August 2016 when a Polish gay couple exploded onto YouTube and everyone's radar with their lip sync of Roxette's "Some Other Summer." What helped them explode was the band's support. The Swedish duo's sharing of their video brought them attention both good and bad. We loved it, but alas there were haters out there. LGBT rights in Poland are ... well ... are there any? With the threats and the...

Thousands of people rallied in the streets of Warsaw yesterday for an annual Equality Parade. It is believed that up to 13,000 people came out for the Polish parade, despite the stigmatism against the LGBT community in the country. As well as the LGBT community, other marginalised groups are celebrated in the parade. It was the 17th parade to be held in the country. The parade went without incident although in the past LGBT marches have faced violent protest from far-right people. The event...

Just as rainbow flags were burned during the national independance day celebration our team put all of our strenght to fight for equality. Our crowdfunding campaign to finance the 2017 Equality Parade in Warsaw has just been launched! The Equality Parade is an annual event dedicated to promoting acceptance, inclusiveness and diversity. It does not focus on LGBTQIA+ issues exclusively but advocates equal rights for all discriminated groups, such as people with disabilities, ethnic and religious minorities as well as animals....