Andrzej Duda, who is running for reelection, said recently that he wants the Polish constitution to explicitly say that same-sex couples cannot adopt children, according to The Guardian.
He plans on proposing the constitutional amendment on Monday. Duda has a history of being anti-LGBT, as he has said that “LGBT ideology” (whatever that is) is destructive and harms children, which is of course untrue. With this new announcement, he further displays his harmful rhetoric, saying “in Poland’s constitution, it should be explicitly stated that anyone in a same-sex relationship is forbidden from adopting a child,” because children of same-sex couples would not have a safe or proper upbringing. He also said that such an amendment would safeguard the rights of Polish children. The rights to what, exactly? It’s anybody’s guess.
The person running against Duda, Rafał Trzaskowski who is the mayor of Warsaw, shares anti-LGBT views with the incumbent, saying that he is also against same-sex couples adopting children. He said ““I believe that is the stance of most of the political parties … On this particular matter I agree with the president.” However, he is generally favorable in regards to LGBT rights as he believes that same-sex couples should be able to enter civil partnerships, which are currently banned in Poland. Additionally, when he was elected mayor, he signed an “LGBT+ declaration” that promises to protect LGBT people, so it is slightly surprising that he would be against same-sex couples from adopting.
It’s not looking good for LGBT rights in Poland right now, as only nine percent of Poles believe that LGBT people should have the right to adopt, and only 29% of Poles are in favor of same-sex marriage. Do you think that there will be any advancements in LGBT rights in Poland anytime soon? Or is the country’s government too conservative to take any pro-LGBT action? Given the fact that the current president wants to change the supreme law of Poland to ban LGBT people from adopting children, I am not holding my breath.
But I might be pleasantly surprised.
Source: The Guardian