The chairman of the Polish Catholic Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, has spoken out against the homophobic "Stop LGBT" citizens' initiative. In a circular letter to the priests of his archdiocese of Poznań in western Poland, he stated that he does not approve of the initiative being promoted and signatures being collected on church grounds.
The ultraconservative Polish foundation Life and Family aims to enshrine a ban on parades and demonstrations for the equality of homosexuals in law through its "Stop LGBT" citizens' initiative. This would affect events such as LGBT Pride parades, which are increasingly taking place in Polish cities.
The foundation, led by abortion opponent Kaja Godek, had asked Polish bishops for support in collecting signatures for the initiative. In response, Auxiliary Bishop Artur Miziński, Secretary General of the Polish Bishops' Conference, wrote to the diocesan bishops, stating that it was their responsibility to allow the faithful to sign the petition in church premises within their dioceses. He also asked them "to consider, at their own discretion, the possibility of handling this matter favorably." According to press reports, unlike Gądecki, Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Białystok permitted the collection of signatures in the parishes of his archdiocese. Last year, participants in a Pride parade were attacked in the city in northeastern Poland.
The situation of gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Poland is causing polarized debates and dominating political discourse. President Andrzej Duda, before his re-election in July, campaigned against what he considered a dangerous "LGBT ideology." Particularly in the conservative southeast of the country, an increasing number of cities and municipalities are declaring themselves so-called "LGBT-free zones." Furthermore, the arrest of an LGBT activist in early August sparked numerous protests.
A citizens' initiative needs 100,000 signatures.
The organizers of the "Stop LGBT" citizens' initiative want to ensure that public spaces are free of what members of the initiative call "homosexual propaganda." At least 100,000 signatures are now needed for parliament to be required to address the initiative. Citizens in Poland cannot initiate a referendum on the issue.
Neither for nor against.
Within the Catholic Church, which wields considerable influence in Poland, the LGBT issue is controversial. In the past, several bishops have expressed homophobic views and supported the anti-LGBT policies of the right-wing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government. However, in a letter from the Bishops' Conference on the LGBT issue in early September, the clergy condemned all violence and aggression against members of the LGBT community.
At the same time, they spoke out against any behavior that contradicts one's "natural sexual orientation." The bishops also endorsed so-called conversion therapies for homosexuals. This controversial pseudotherapy aims to "treat" the inclinations of homosexual individuals. The Bishops' Conference letter states that church-run counseling centers "help people who want to regain their sexual health and natural sexual orientation."
