Polish gays have their very own reason to mourn

[chriskrak]

Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka
25.08.1950 - 10.04.2010

Member of the Sejm (the Lower House of Parliament)
Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, 2004-2005

The whole world has heard of the tragic plane crash at Smolensk in Russia in which the Polish President, his wife and an enormous number of high-ranking state, political and military leaders, as well as many relatives of the Poles murdered by Stalin's secret police in 1940, were killed.

Much less well known is the fact that Polish gays have also lost "their" main political voice. On board of the plane was, among 15 members of the Sejm and three senators, Mrs. Jaruga-Nowacka, who was famous for her fight for women's rights and the rights of various minorities. In her engagement against the discrimination of sexual minorities in Poland, she was absolutely one of a kind among the 460 members of the Sejm.

Mrs. Jaruga-Nowacka clashed frequently with the late Lech Kaczynski, who, as Mayor of Warsaw, several times blocked (in breach of the Polish constitution, as later court rulings showed) gay and lesbian "Marches for Equality".

It is an additional deeply sad irony of fate that she and Mr. Kaczynski perished together - on their way to pay respect to the victims of the 1940 murders in the forests of Katyn.

Niech Jej ziemia lekka będzie - May the earth be light for her.

Rest in peace.




(Photo: www.jaruga-nowacka.pl)​

 

[smallsleepyrascalcat]

I'm very weak in offering my condolences to others, I never know the right words.

But I want you to know that I feel with the Polish people, not only te Polish gay community.

 

[slimjim]

I'm very weak in offering my condolences to others, I never know the right words.

But I want you to know that I feel with the Polish people, not only te Polish gay community.

I agree with every word.

 

[chriskrak]

Thank you.

Of course, I am in mourning not only for Mrs. Jaruga-Nowacka, but for every single of the 96 victims of the plane crash.

Personally I feel that the most tragic victims are those from the Katyn families... Families who lost their loved ones in the 1940 murders - and who now have lost another generation in that very same place, exactly on the 70th anniversary of the murders

But I felt that here was the place to pay a special tribute to the politician who was so active in her support for the gay community.

 

[Tom]

How tragic!

I feel for all the family and friends those 96 left behind.
My heart goes out to them!
The Mothers and Fathers.
The Spouses
The Siblings
The Children
etc.
They are the ones whose pain will only ease with time, a very long time.

 

[BugsyB]

a verry sad thing

 

[XMan101]

This was very tragic. I was away over the weekend and just happened to switch the TV on before going to sleep in the hotel . It was quite a shock really. It's so sad, obviously for those affected personally, but very sad for the people of Poland.

I do feel for the whole country.

 

[garth33]

Thank you.

Of course, I am in mourning not only for Mrs. Jaruga-Nowacka, but for every single of the 96 victims of the plane crash.

Personally I feel that the most tragic victims are those from the Katyn families... Families who lost their loved ones in the 1940 murders - and who now have lost another generation in that very same place, exactly on the 70th anniversary of the murders

But I felt that here was the place to pay a special tribute to the politician who was so active in her support for the gay community.

Sincere condolences from my part of the US where there are a lot of polish immigrants - what a tragedy.

Peace,
g33

 

[garth33]

Also from US tv - "The Sea of Candles" - very sad but it makes a statement for you - stay strong Polish brothers!!

http://anonym.to/?http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/36578200#36483691



g

 

[blondbearnl]

in all honesty, gay people in poland, owe nothing, except fear, persecution and humiliation to those in power and to those who have died in the plane crash
it would be the same if a plane with nazi-leaders in world war II would have crashed and the people on board would have died, and the jews, gypsies, communists, physically and mentally handicapped and homosexuals in the nazi concentration camps would have mourned over them. poland, together with countries as Bela Rus (White-Russia) has the harshest regime these days in europe against minorities such as homosexuals, gypsies and jews. in general all countries in europe that were formerly known as eastern (communist) europe that now have a strong religious power do persecute minorities, as if nothing has happened in the last century. the leaders in poland were extremely bad people! europe's only surviving dictator and a fan of hitler and stalin rules in white russia, Viktor Lukashenko. A good friend of those who are/were in power in Poland.

 

[XMan101]

in all honesty, gay people in poland, owe nothing, except fear, persecution and humiliation to those in power and to those who have died in the plane crash
it would be the same if a plane with nazi-leaders in world war II would have crashed and the people on board would have died, and the jews, gypsies, communists, physically and mentally handicapped and homosexuals in the nazi concentration camps would have mourned over them. poland, together with countries as Bela Rus (White_Russia) has the harshest regime these days in europe against minorities such as homosexuals, gypsies and jews. in general all countries in europe that were formerly knows as eastern (communist) europe that now have a strong religious power do persecute minorities, as if nothing has happened in the last century. the leaders in poland were extremely bad people! europe's only surviving dictator and a fan of hitler and stalin rules in white russia, Viktor Lukashenko. A good friend of those who are/were in power in Poland.

These things take time to develope. There is still persecution in certain areas of the old western democracies, but all things change eventually. These countries are, by comparison, very young democracies and after being effectively enforced closed societies haven't had the time to grow yet.

One point in favour of the EEC is that member states have to conform in certain areas , but it takes a generation for society as a whole to change.

When I was born you could be imprisoned in the UK for "commiting homosexual acts" even in private. It's even very much more recently that you could actually film more than 2 guys in a sex scene for a porn movie!

Like I said, these things take time.

 

[BugsyB]

what doesnt take time?

ok sorry lol

 

[blondbearnl]

facts and fiction

These things take time to develope. There is still persecution in certain areas of the old western democracies, but all things change eventually. These countries are, by comparison, very young democracies and after being effectively enforced closed societies haven't had the time to grow yet.

One point in favour of the EEC is that member states have to conform in certain areas , but it takes a generation for society as a whole to change.

When I was born you could be imprisoned in the UK for "commiting homosexual acts" even in private. It's even very much more recently that you could actually film more than 2 guys in a sex scene for a porn movie!

Like I said, these things take time.

Even an orgasm takes time, but that is not the issue:rofl:. Being part of the European Union also means to adopt to its democratic rules, freedom for gay people included. These days people, rightly, criticise fundamentalist muslim regimes, but the fundamentalist catholic, christian, anglican etc.churches are as bad in some ways. Of course even in what was/is known as western europe the U.K. has always been a strange duck in the pond with its idiosyncracies, based on the idea it is still an empire (although is has not been since world war II) and fed by the victorian upbringing which allows the elite to be as kinky as they want to be, but in secret, and all others to obey like domestisized sheep. Sheep will bloat anywayP
The example you give about filming porn and having private sex at home the way one wants to, being made illegal shows exactly what is so strange and stupid about the U.K.,maybe eating the wrong food contributes to that as well, as foot and mouth disease proves, maybe it's a food and mouth fetish:rofl:

 

[XMan101]

I think we're a lot more enlightened these days, by "we" I mean the governments not the majority of the people who have always thought we have silly regulations, and partly because they've had to be. It's taken a long time to finally remove the thoroughly engrained Victorian attitudes from a century ago.

Being an island slightly away from the main part of Europe has obviously created a more stand-offish approach than we might have had.

 

[chriskrak]

in all honesty, gay people in poland, owe nothing, except fear, persecution and humiliation to those in power and to those who have died in the plane crash
it would be the same if a plane with nazi-leaders in world war II would have crashed and the people on board would have died, and the jews, gypsies, communists, physically and mentally handicapped and homosexuals in the nazi concentration camps would have mourned over them. poland, together with countries as Bela Rus (White-Russia) has the harshest regime these days in europe against minorities such as homosexuals, gypsies and jews. in general all countries in europe that were formerly known as eastern (communist) europe that now have a strong religious power do persecute minorities, as if nothing has happened in the last century. the leaders in poland were extremely bad people! europe's only surviving dictator and a fan of hitler and stalin rules in white russia, Viktor Lukashenko. A good friend of those who are/were in power in Poland.

I was certainly no friend of the killed president Kaczynski - but comparing him to the nazi leaders in WW II is WIDE off the mark, mildly speaking Nobody in Poland has to be afraid of ending up being killed in a concentration camp - so pleeeaaase, do not compare things which are incomparable! :no:

Also, even if one refuses to mourn for Mr. Kaczynski and people from his party because of their extreme homophobic attitudes, you should notice that the Kaczynski party, which formed the government in 2005-7, lost power in the 2007 elections, and president Kaczynski was something of a relict from his party's years in power. He had generally been expected to be voted out of office in the presidential elections in September. In the Smolensk plane crash, politicians from ALL parties represented in parliament were killed. Among them were a liberal member of the Sejm (from the now-ruling Civic Platform party) who had been the author of an important new law to unwind some of the harm done in 2005-7, and also, as mentioned in the starting post of this thread, the only openly gay-friendly MP, together with two of her colleages from the Democratic Left-Wing Union, including their candidate for the September elections.

When it comes to "those who are/were in power in Poland" being good friends of Belarus dictator Lukashenko, please note that Polish governments in recent years (irrespective of their political orientation) have done more than any other European country to support the democratic opposition in Belarus. For example, there is a Belarussian TV channel broadcasting the democratic point of view into Belarus from Poland, financed by the Polish government, and Belarussian students thrown out of Belarussian universities for taking part in anti-Lukashenko demonstrations have been taken up by Polish universities, also with grants from the government.

 

[maxricardo]

bullshit

in all honesty, gay people in poland, owe nothing, except fear, persecution and humiliation to those in power and to those who have died in the plane crash
it would be the same if a plane with nazi-leaders in world war II would have crashed and the people on board would have died, and the jews, gypsies, communists, physically and mentally handicapped and homosexuals in the nazi concentration camps would have mourned over them. poland, together with countries as Bela Rus (White-Russia) has the harshest regime these days in europe against minorities such as homosexuals, gypsies and jews. in general all countries in europe that were formerly known as eastern (communist) europe that now have a strong religious power do persecute minorities, as if nothing has happened in the last century. the leaders in poland were extremely bad people! europe's only surviving dictator and a fan of hitler and stalin rules in white russia, Viktor Lukashenko. A good friend of those who are/were in power in Poland.

U are likely to know Poland only from fairy-tales, comparing polish democratic government with nazis is the biggest stupidity. In Poland there are no persecutions of gays, maybe the social atmosphere aren't so much friendly like in western countries, but u should remember that in Poland there haven't never been the punishment for homosexual intercourse or relationships. The first penal code in Poland after the regaining of independence in 1918 didnt conclude the punishments like there were in these countries which are so proud of their liberal attitude toward gays now.

 

[maxricardo]

Thx Chriskrak for ur words