Human rights groups protest Gay Pride ban (Poland)

[Meeker Morgan]

The Warsaw Mayor has come under pressure from MEPs and human rights groups to allow a gay pride parade to take place in Warsaw, June 11. Bogdan Zaryn reports.

The far-right also intend to stage demonstrations opposing the parade. Just like last year, city authorities claim that this situation could pose a security risk for Warsaw residents and therefore may ban the gay rights activists parade for the second year in a row.

Plans of banning the equality parade for the second time in as many years has angered MEPs in Brussels, and gay and lesbian movements at home and abroad...

http://story.europesun.com/p.x/ct/9/cid/ab2402315313d795/id/8717b5e6a5ecbed2/

[Atlas Mugged]

1. Poland is a hard core theocracy at this point.

[TaleWgnDg]

2. Alas, Poland is solid Roman Catholic Church; however . . .

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Alas, Poland is solid Roman Catholic Church; however . . . prior to his death Pope John Paul II was worried (rightfully so too) that Poland and its Catholic population, since the Solidarity Movement and the fall of the U.S.S.R. culminating in the liberation of Poland, "were falling away from the Church." Much of this was discussed throughout Europe pending Poland's entrance into the EU.



"Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Lord Acton (1887)


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[Meeker Morgan]

4. Not a hard core theocracy

The priests aren't the government, and there is no religious compulsion in law.

The RC church has its dead hand on Poland for sure, but it's no theocracy. The fact that this is even a discussable issue proves that.

No talk at all of a gay pride parade in Mecca, for example. That's a theocracy.

That it is a controversy shows that things are moving in our direction, albeit slowly. Think of the gay rights movement in the USA circa 1970. That's about where Poland is now.

Please don't over-state the case, it doesn't help at all.

[Atlas Mugged]

6. I understand and appreciate you comments

However (please note I refrained from using "how-EH-vuh!") I've had some indirect conflict with the Polish government. Years ago, when I did what most people did during the birth of the 'net, I got into serious genealogical research. Since my surname is 'extreme' Eastern European, with lots of consonants and very few softening vowels, it wasn't hard to figure out where to begin. My surname's sources were traceable to 11th Century villages in the Carpathian Mountains in current Romania. My maternal ancestors, on my Grandmother's side, were in Poland. After months of research, and not a few visits, I finally tracked down some of my Polish relatives. The highlight was a young man who is now very successful gay porn star. Quite frankly, I'm delighted, and my father, who would've died of shame 2 decades ago at such news, is also ready to welcome anyone, no matter what they do for a living, into the family with open arms, as long as flys are firmly zipped, of course. Anyway, in an effort to make a very long story short, my newly found cousin has not had it easy, at all. Not only has he been detained (read: imprisoned) for questioning numerous times over the years in Poland, during his incarcerations he was questioned and humiliated by PRIESTS. Yes, priests, doing the governments work. While I respect your definition of what constitutes a "theocracy", this experience has caused me to expand my own definition. Fortunately, my cousin is now living happily in Prague, in the same business (as well he should be....if I looked like that I'd probably do the same) and is no longer taken advantage of, financially & morally, by unscrupulous, sleazy film makers, but is working for someone who is known for treating his sex stars fairly. Most important of all, he's not living in fear of the neighborhood babushkas spying on him and turning his name in to the PRIESTS. No, they don't snitch to the police, they turn to their local church, which works, quite efficiently, with the authorities. So, there are technical definitions of the word "theocracy", but my cousin lived the reality of a theocracy.

Perhaps I should've left off the "hard core" in my original subject line, but, you can see how it crept into my conceptualization.

Oh, yes, Mecca represents an extreme I wouldn't wish to experience.

[TaleWgnDg]

3. Welcome to DU, Meeker Morgan . . .

"been there, done that before . . ."


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[Meeker Morgan]

5. Howdy. Love that pic. n/t