Eastern Europe was once a world lear on gay rights. Then ran out of spegoats | CNN

Contents:

• WARSAW GAY PRI PARA BACK AFTER BACKLASH, PANMIC
• WARSAW GAY PRI PARA BACK AFTER BACKLASH, PANMIC
• WARSAW GAY PRI
• EASTERN EUROPE WAS ONCE A WORLD LEAR ON GAY RIGHTS. THEN RAN OUT OF SPEGOATS
• POLAND DECLAR ITSELF ‘LGBT FREE’ AS GAY PARAS TURN BLASPHEMO
• #BIGPICTURE: GAY PRI PARA FI FAR-RIGHT GROUPS POLAND
• GAY PRI GETS POLIL POLAND

WARSAW GAY PRI PARA BACK AFTER BACKLASH, PANMIC

Image source, EPAImage ptn, Poland's LGBT muny is facg risg discrimatnThoands of people have marched Poland's biggt Pri equaly para was held Warsaw, amid a backdrop of risg discrimatn agast the untry's LGBT 's right-wg print Andrzej Duda has scribed what he lls "LGBT iology" as beg worse than munism, and has vowed to block gay marriage and source, Getty ImagWhile same-sex upl are barred om adoptg children as upl, some lol thori have historilly allowed applints to adopt as sgle earlier this year the untry's jtice mistry proposed that this loophole be closed, so that LGBT people are pletely prevented om source, EPAImage ptn, Dozens of small towns have passed rolutns agast what they ll "LGBT iology"And across Poland, dozens of small towns have passed rolutns clarg themselv "LGBT-ee zon". Thoands marched through central Warsaw on Saturday an “equaly para”, amid what mpaigners say has been a risg ti of homophobia Poland recent rights have bee a central part of a wir stggle the untry between liberals, who strs the need for a more tolerant and clive society, and relig nservativ, who nounce what they say is an attempt to subvert tradnal valu the predomantly Catholic a sea of rabow flags, marchers gathered outsi the towerg neo-Gothic Palace of Culture and Science central Warsaw, as a DJ played dance mic om a stage before the start of the march. “Homophobia is a huge problem Poland … there are lots of people who n’t pe wh , they kill themselv.

Photograph: Wojtek Radwański/AFP/Getty ImagPolicians and clergy have been acced of stokg homophobia Poland. Some nservativ say they have nothg agast gay people but oppose what they ll “LGBT iology”. Meanwhile, Hungary Viktor Orbán’s natnalist ernment, which is allied wh Poland’s erng Law and Jtice (PiS) party, has troduced a law banng the “display and promotn of homosexualy” among unr-18s.

The largt gay pri para central Europe took place aga Warsaw for the first time two years after a panmic-duced break — and amid a backlash Poland and Hungary agast LGBT rights. Thoands of people joed the march and were cheered on by others wavg rabow flags om their apartment that level of acceptance is not universal Poland, a heavily Catholic, largely nservative joyful and lorful celebratn was tged wh fear of what the future holds for the rights of gay men, lbians, bisexuals and transgenr people after setbacks first Rsia and now Hungary.

WARSAW GAY PRI PARA BACK AFTER BACKLASH, PANMIC

“We’ve been through a very, very rough time, but at the same time we are gog out the streets and we are sayg we are stronger and we are not gog to give up, ” said Miroslawa Makuchowska, vice director of Campaign Agast Homophobia. It was banned twice s early years by a nservative mayor, Lech Kaczynski, who feared would promote homosexualy, and last year was nceled due to the ronavis the first event 2001, Polish society has bee largely more open on the issue of gay rights, shaped by EU membership and cultural fluenc om the year's para was smaller than the one 2019 due to some panmic rtrictns. 1 of 16 | People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021.

8 of 16 | People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021. 9 of 16 | People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday June 19, 2021. 10 of 16 | People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021.

11 of 16 | People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021.

WARSAW GAY PRI

12 of 16 | A woman take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021.

13 of 16 | People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021. 14 of 16 | People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday June 19, 2021. 15 of 16 | People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021.

1 of 16People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021. 8 of 16People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021. 9 of 16People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday June 19, 2021.

EASTERN EUROPE WAS ONCE A WORLD LEAR ON GAY RIGHTS. THEN RAN OUT OF SPEGOATS

10 of 16People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021. 11 of 16People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021. 12 of 16A woman take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021.

13 of 16People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021.

POLAND DECLAR ITSELF ‘LGBT FREE’ AS GAY PARAS TURN BLASPHEMO

14 of 16People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday June 19, 2021. 15 of 16People take part the Equaly Para, the largt gay pri para central and eastern Europe, Warsaw, Poland, Saturday June 19, 2021. WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The largt gay pri para central Europe took place aga Warsaw on Saturday for the first time two years after a panmic-duced break — and amid a backlash Poland and Hungary agast LGBT year’s Equaly Para me 20 years sce the event was first held the Polish pal.

It was banned twice s early years by a nservative mayor who feared would promote homosexualy and last year was nceled due to the ronavis Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski walked at the head of the para a sign of support for LGBT rights, jog thoands who were cheered on by others wavg rabow flags om apartment balni and siwalk f. But that level of acceptance is not universal Poland, a heavily Catholic, largely nservative joyful and lorful celebratn was tged wh fear of what the future holds for the rights of gay men, lbians, bisexuals and transgenr people after setbacks first Rsia and now Hungary.

” Among those who participated was Misza Czerniak, a 37-year-old mician who was born Rsia and emigrated to Poland 10 years ago part to flee the homophobia there.

#BIGPICTURE: GAY PRI PARA FI FAR-RIGHT GROUPS POLAND

But at the same time, we are gog out the streets and we are sayg we are stronger and we are not gog to give up, ” said Miroslawa Makuchowska, vice director of Campaign Agast Homophobia.

The joyful and lorful celebratn was tged wh fear of what the future holds for the rights of gay men, lbians, bisexuals and transgenr people after setbacks first Rsia and now Hungary. The Equaly Para, Warsaw's gay pri march, has been marchg through Poland's pal cy's streets sce 2001.

GAY PRI GETS POLIL POLAND

Bishop Szymon Czekaj, former print of the Internatnal Associatn of Gays and Lbians for Culture Poland (ILGCN-Polska), and other activists. After a show anized one of Warsaw's now-funct gay clubs, a group of iends sprang up wh the ia of brgg a march agast discrimatn to Poland. Saturday’s march was one of 24 paras schled to take place this year Poland – a rerd number that mpaigners say is a reactn to the uptick of homophobic and transphobic language by Poland’s Catholic lears and PiS.

“I thk the way that some policians of this party spoke publicly about LGBT[Q] issu ma other people Poland ls aaid to e hate speech, ” lol gay rights activist Joanna Glzek, 28, who -anized Bialystok’s march told CNN. “All the signs are showg that Kaczynski will ntue wh the spegoat strategy, which go hand--hand wh the Polish Catholic church that has ma the LGBTQ muny s biggt enemy, ” said Miroslawa Makuchowska, head of the polil divisn of the Polish advocy group Campaign Agast Homophobia. The Warsaw-based nonprof Campaign Agast Homophobia (KPH) told CNN that more than 30 uncils had clared themselv ee of “LGBT iology” the past few months – rponse to Warsaw’s liberal mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, om the opposn Civic Platform (PO), signg a claratn support of LGBTQ rights.

But this year’s events are takg place at a time when homophobia is on the rise Poland, fueled by hateful ments om the ernment and Roman Catholic Church (RCC) lears. Acrdg to a 2020 survey by ILGA-Europe, a Bssels-based advocy group, Poland ranks as the most homophobic untry of the E.