Upwards of 200 Polish schools were going to participate in Rainbow Friday, an event created by the civil rights group Campaign Against Homophobia, but the Polish government warned the schools against it, according to Pink News.
Anna Zalewska, the education minister of Poland, warned the schools that if they participated in the events there will be consequences as well as urged parents to report any LGBTQ activities to the authorities. I don't know about anyone else, but if a government official threatens public schools with vague consequences and tells parents to call the police on something as innocuous as promoting LGBTQ equality, it rubs me the wrong way.
The Ministry of Education said that the schools that participate in the events on Rainbow Friday will be investigated to discern whether or not they violated the Education. It is currently unknown how many schools will continue to participate in the activities. In Poland, like many other places in the world, LGBTQ people are treated unfairly for being who they are. Polish law does not allow same-sex marriage or civil partnerships.
The Interior Minister of Poland, Mariusz Blaszczak, recently referred to a pride march that took place a "parade of sodomites," and two gay men were attacked near the beginning of this year while visiting the country. They had slurs thrown at them while witnesses did nothing. The men left the scene while the abusers followed them, punching them hard enough to fall to the ground. Another homophobic incident is when the Minister of Internal Affairs, Joachim Brudziński, wanted to prosecute LGBTQ people for featuring the rainbow flag on the Polish coat of arms, saying that they desecrated it.
Poland ranks 38 out of 49 among European countries in regard to LGBTQ rights.
Promoting LGBTQ rights in any country is unequivocally a good thing, as giving equal rights to marginalized groups will create a more equal society, so schools participating in LGBTQ events would have been beneficial to students and teachers alike. Unfortunately, too many people are still uncomfortable with LGBT individuals, so these events will most likely not take place. However, the Polish Supreme Court recently ruled against a man who refused to print posters for LGBTQ businesses as he did not want to promote LGBTQ rights, so there is hope for LGBTQ people in Poland.
h/t: Pink News