Polish Education Minister suggests limiting 'homosexual propaganda'
Statement by the Polish Campaign against Homophobia, 14 March 2007
When recently speaking at a meeting of EU education ministers in Heidelberg, Germany, the Polish Minister of Education Roman Giertych (from ultra-right League of Polish Families) left no question about his views on gay issues.
He expressed his wish to implement a pan-European ban on "homosexual propaganda" and claimed in the Polish press that he had verbalized the opinion of the Polish government; however upset, Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski remained timid in his reaction, but invited Giertych for a "discussion" which was rumored to conclude with his dismissal. Nevertheless, Giertych stayed in the post, stated that they have cleared the situation with the Prime Minister and is ready to continue his work and implement the plans that were set.
On March 13th Polish newspapers delivered the news of the contents of Giertych's fresh proposal for a law which would "prohibit the promotion of homosexuality and other deviance". Later on the same day during a Ministry of Education press conference the vice-Minister of Education Miroslaw Orzechowski stated that the main goal of the law is to "punish whomever promotes homosexuality or any other deviance of a sexual nature in educational establishments ". According to Orzechowski the possible punishments could be dismissal, fine and even imprisonment.
Robert Biedron, President of Polish LGBT organization Campaign Against Homophobia, said: "I am embarrassed to hear of such a proposal; the issue is taking on more and more dangerous measures with each day, Poland is like an island drifting away from the rest of Europe. When Mr. Orzechowski made this statement about the law, even the journalists asked whether this kind of an “isolation” of LGBT people is a first step and if so, what will be the next? Don’t we already know this kind of a language from not so ancient history?”
Biedron also claims that the passivity of the European Union is reaching its limits, “It seems that with many other issues the EU is able to respond quickly and exercise the measures which are meant to be exercised if some rules are broken – and what happens when the rules of equal treatment and anti-discrimination are broken? What happens when a Minister of a Member State regularly practices hate-speech and encourages intolerance? When will we see the measures taken against that? What has happened to the case where a project of a Polish LGBT organization was refused funding from a European Commission programme governed by the local authorities, with the reasoning that the “Ministry of Education does not support the cooperation of homosexuals organizations”? This is a case from September 2006 and until today the Commission has not been able to solve this particular issue.”
“What else are we waiting for before we finally take action? Are we waiting for increase of data on victims of homophobic violence? Are we waiting for camps for LGBT people? In my opinion, we need to react before things go to extremes, not when they are there already and there is little to save,” says Biedron.
Speech by Roman Giertych:
Distinguished Honourable Colleagues!
I am very pleased that we have this opportunity to talk honestly about Europe’s future and its values. Undoubtedly it is a subject of great importance for Europe’s survival.
Europe needs honest and genuine debate on values. The rights of the European nations to their own identities and freedom should be mentioned in the first place. Today that freedom is endangered by attempting to impose opinions of small ideological groups. This particularly takes place in education.
We can see nowadays that a whole series of actions have been undertaken in order to bring up youth according to the spirit of permissivism and in belief that there is no need to demand anything from themselves. Now it is time to change it in Europe. Europe had been strong when founded on natural law and when education of young generation was also derived from this law. I found out recently that children (eleven years old boys) will participate in a homosexual parade and that authorities of one of European cities approved such propaganda. I realize that the subject I have touched up is a taboo in some countries. Thankfully in my own country we know how to talk about this sincerely.
Propaganda of homosexuality reaches younger and younger children. In some countries children are not allowed to mention or read about mom and dad even in hospitals as that might allegedly violate the rights of the minority. Let’s shake ourselves free of this ill-advised political correctness. If by all means we will not support the family there will be no future for us as a continent. We shall become a continent settled by caring for families members of the Muslim world. We also cannot promote as normal same-sex partnerships when teaching youth, as those partnerships objectively constitute deviation from the natural law. It’s not about discriminating anyone. Quite the contrary! The truth does not discriminate anyone and each individual regardless of her or his failings deserves respect, protection and understanding.
Every human being also the unborn one requires protection. The missing truth about the tragedy of millions of Europeans killed every year by abortion is one of the mournful realities of our times. That crime legalized by numerous parliaments has been a new form of barbarity. A nation that kills its children is a nation without future. The continent that kills its children will be colonized by those who do not kill them.
Youth without real message will not be brought up. Therefore if we think about any joint curriculum for youth let’s start from the debate on basic issues. And let our discussion be honest and free from any Newspeak.
Europe needs changes. Abortion should be immediately prohibited. Human life is the highest value on Earth. It is necessary to limit homosexual propaganda to protect children against wrong perception of a family. We have to confirm family and bounce back to traditional for European values – values of human life, family and the natural law.
In a separate document we have to guarantee rights and freedoms of European nations. There is a need at the moment for the Great Charter of Rights of European Nations that will guarantee freedom and identity in accordance with values I mentioned before. Considering further steps such as a European Constitution will be possible no sooner than following discussion and adoption of common values.
