Poland‘s Education Ministry has proposed a bill that would prohibit sexual minorities activist groups from school premises.

To make sure that students are not approached by activists promoting minority sexual preferences on school grounds, Polish Ministry of Education has prepared a bill, according to which school headmasters risk disciplinary dismissal for allowing this kind of propaganda in public schools. The proposition has sparked discussion over the access of gay, lesbian, bisexual and other sexual minorities activists to school aged children.

The proposed legislation aims to keep the freedom and rights of parents to bring up their children according to their chosen value system, and homosexual agenda at schools is a threat to that freedom, explains Krzysztof Bosak of the League of Polish Families minor coalition party, listing examples that he finds worrying:

‘In Canada we can see courts depriving parents of the right to opt out of homosexual propaganda classes for their children. We saw a man arrested because he went to the school headmaster to ask for exclusion of his child of such classes. In England a program was devised for children to learn gay and lesbian history, which had very little to do with history or science and everything to do with an ideology that is harmful to children. And in Poland homosexual activists have tried to distribute very obscene leaflets to school children. This needs to be stopped, for the sake of our children, their safety and freedom from this kind of harassment.’

But the reason that gay activists target school children is just consciousness raising, responds Artur Jedyński of the Lambda Association:

‘In our educational system in Poland issues covering this subject are not really present. Maybe if we can say about biology, they appear in books, but sexual education is not really present at all, or if it is, then it presents homosexuality as perversion.’

Information on health and life-threatening aspects of homosexual lifestyle should not be censored, argues Krzysztof Bosak of the coalition League of Polish Families:

‘Gay activists want to impose on society the view that homosexuality is normal. But social science brings evidence to the contrary. We see how gay lifestyle destroys people’s health, we see higher levels of pathologies, addictions, suicides, violence and abuse among people who embrace the homosexual lifestyle. This is definitely not something to be presented to our children as normal, natural and healthy.’

Among other accusations that have been raised against the presence of gay activists at educational centers is their alleged involvement with the movement that intends to normalize other sexual preferences, including pedophilia. Gay activist Artur Jedyński denies these kinds of charges.

‘I was also accused, at the University of Szczecin, of promotion of pedophilia. I could not really find words to express how angry I am about such accusations.’

But MP Krzysztof Bosak does not find the pedophilia allegations totally groundless.

‘There is reason to be concerned about the links of the international homosexual movement with the circles that postulate lowering the age of consent. This is why we should pay special attention to protect our children from being approached by these groups, whose intentions we cannot be sure about.’

Bosak stresses, that the oppostition to the gay agenda does not target individual gay people, because in Poland they have equal rights just like everyone else. He notes that Poland was one of the first countries to decriminalize homosexual acts:

‘What we see as a threat to democracy and public order is the propaganda of gay lifestyle in the public sphere, especially homosexual indoctrination at schools. This is a very important distinction. Nobody is attacking people with homosexual tendencies. What we oppose is the dangerous political and social movement that uses the problems of gay people to push forward an agenda that is dangerous to the foundations of our civilization.’

If passed, the legislation banning gay activism from access to schools could be implemented with the beginning of the new school year in Fall.

When recently speaking in a meeting of EU education ministers in Heidelberg, Germany, the Polish Minister of Education Roman Giertych (from ultra-right League of Polish Families) left no question about his views on gay-issues.

He expressed his wish to implement a pan-European ban on “homosexual propaganda” and claimed in Polish press that he had spoken out the opinion of the Polish government; however upset, Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski stayed timid in his reaction, but invited Giertych for a “discussion” which was rumored to conclude with his dismissal. Nevertheless, Giertych stayed in the post, stated that they have cleared the situation with the Prime Minister and is ready to continue his work and implement the plans that were set.

On March 13th Polish newspapers delivered the news of the contents of Giertych’s fresh proposal for a law which would “prohibit the promotion of homosexuality and other deviance”. Later on the same day during a press conference of Ministry of Education the vice-Minister of Education Miroslaw Orzechowski stated that the main goal of the law is to “punish whoever promotes homosexuality or any other deviance of a sexual nature in educational establishments “.

Robert Biedron, President of Polish LGBT organization Campaign Against Homophobia, said: “I am embarrassed to hear of such a proposal; the issue is taking more and more dangerous measures with each day, Poland is like an island drifting away from the rest of Europe. When Mr. Orzechowski made this statement about the law, even the journalists asked whether this kind of an “isolation” of LGBT people is a first step and if so, what will be the next? Don’t we already know this kind of a language from not so ancient history?”

Biedron also claims that the passivity of the European Union is reaching its limits, “It seems that with many other issues the EU is able to respond quickly and exercise the measures which are meant to be exercised if some rules are broken – and what happens when the rules of equal treatment and anti-discrimination are broken? What happens when a Minister of a Member State regularly practices hate-speech and encourages intolerance? When will we see the measures taken against that? What has happened to the case where a project of a Polish LGBT organization was refused funding from a European Commission programme governed by the local authorities, with the reasoning “Ministry of Education does not support the cooperation of homosexuals organizations”? This is a case from September 2006 and until today the Commission has not been able to solve this particular issue.”

“What else are we waiting for before we finally take action? Are we waiting for increase of data on victims of homophobic violence? Are we waiting for camps for LGBT people? In my opinion, we need to react before things go to extreme, not when they are there already and there is little to save,” says Biedron.

Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, when asked what he thinks about the draft law being prepared by the Ministry of Education which foresees among other things the punishment of teachers if they allow for the promotion of homosexuality on school grounds, replied that it would be “too much” to agree on the promotion of a “gay lifestyle” in Polish schools.

The head of government argued that it’s one thing to tolerate homosexuality and another to promote it.

„Promoting a gay lifestyle to young people in schools as an alternative to what’s „normal” is going too far. In no case do I believe that schools should do that. This type of activity should be curtailed because it’s one thing to tolerate and another to affirm”, underscored J. Kaczynski in a Tuesday press conference.

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J. Kaczynski assured that he is tolerant when it comes to the issue of homosexuality. He warned however that “he doesn’t believe in any circumstance” that schools should promote it.

He added that he’s against homosexual marriage. He argued that marriage is not a “tolerated institution” but rather one “affirmed and supported by the State.”

„I don’t see any reason for this type of disposition to be expanded. There are people who are born with this affliction and that’s too bad. One can’t limit them because of that. If they were to be more of them, and I have reason to believe that that is happening now, at least it’s considered trendy, then nothing good will come of it”, claimed the Prime Minister.

J. Kaczynski underscored that the issue of intolerance towards homosexuals „is not a Polish problem because it’s not a Polish tradition.”

He drew attention to the fact that Polish lawmakers were tolerant towards homosexuals even before the Second World War and that homosexuality wasn’t criminalized. “I can’t recall any persecution of homosexuals any more so than any other group during Communism; it wasn’t criminalized,” added J. Kaczynski.

The Prime Minister said that the situation of homosexuals in Poland has changed since 1989. “There are gay clubs; there are many institutions, press, and gay literature. I don’t really see any problem”, said J. Kaczynski.

Vice-Minister of Education Miroslaw Orzechowski said at a Tuesday press conference that a special draft law will be prepared “no longer than in a month”, which would prohibit the promotion of homosexuality on school grounds and educational centers. He presented the tenants of the draft.

He stressed that the law „will in no way effect the rights of homosexual individuals who are afflicted by this. It will preempt the promotion of this type of behavior in schools and educational centers”.

As Orzechowski claims, those who will promote „homosexuality or other sexual deviance” in schools will be subjected to imprisonment or a fine.

Orzechowski confirmed the Ministry’s plans.
”Whoever promotes homosexuality or any other deviance of a sexual nature in educational establishments will be punished”, the vice-Minister said regarding the main idea of the draft law. The draft law will be prepared by the Ministry of Education within a month he claimed. Breaking this prohibition would threaten disciplinary expulsion from work, an even punishments such as a fine or imprisonment.

”Laws already exist for other deviances.”

”This language hurts me because I’m completely disgusted by it”, claimed the vice-Minister when asked if calling homosexuality a deviance or saying “pederasts” was appropriate.

”Rearding other deviance, there are laws already. Homosexuality is only one sphere”, he said in defense of the Ministry’s decision to concentrate on homosexuality.

Homosexuality likened to smoking, according to Orzechowski, “I believe that every person has to live through their weaknesses internally and deal with them themselves, much like quitting smoking.”.

Directors will be fired from their jobs if they allow gay organizations into their schools, according to a new Ministry of Education draft law which “Dziennik” [Polish daily] has found out about.

According to the newspaper, Roman Giertych wants to punish teachers if they allow for the promotion of homosexuality on school property or at youth centers. “Dziennik” became familiar with the propositions in the draft law.

Breaking this prohibition would threaten disciplinary expulsion from work, and even punishments such as a fine or imprisonment. The draft law is still being worked on in the Ministries and will most likely reach the Sejm (Parliament) as a government bill. The new law could come into effect as soon as the new school year starts the newspaper reports.
In “Dziennik’s” opinion this is the next controversial concept of the Minister of Education of many which is voiced in government at a time when the Prime Minister and President are attempting at great lengths to project an image of Poland as free from homophobia.

The ministry wants school headmasters who allow homosexual activism at schools to be punished with disciplinary dismissal.

The regulation is not aimed at discrimination but at keeping the school environment free of activities encouraging the homosexual lifestyle, deputy education minister has said.

The bill is now being processed within the ministry, before it reaches the parliament. If passed, new regulations could be implemented by the beginning of the new school year this Fall.