Poland's president says his views on gays are misunderstood

Polish president Lech Kaczynski, a staunch Roman Catholic, said his views like traditional national values and gay people are misunderstood. Kaczynski, of the socially conservative Law and Justice Party, took office in December on pledges that included making sure that Poland's traditional Roman Catholic values were not overwhelmed by the generally liberal European viewpoint. Poland, a former Soviet bloc country, joined the European Union in 2004.

"I am aware that often the things I say are not in line with the European correctness," Kaczynski said in an interview Monday with the Associated Press in New York. "Even more, I am ascribed views that are not really mine."

But he stressed the need to "verbalize our problems in Europe.... This is much more important than the hasty integration, a hasty killing of a national country that is an incomparably better center for consolidating people than an anonymous, bureaucratic, and cold European Union."

Kaczynski, a lawyer, has drawn criticism from E.U. members for saying that privately he supports the death penalty in cases of heinous murders, although he acknowledged that no changes in Polish law can be made against E.U. standards that ban capital punishment.

He has also been criticized for speaking against same-sex marriage. He says property and inheritance issues for gay couples can be settled by lawyers.

Talking to the AP, he defended his views. "I do not support the turning-back of the wheel of history," Kaczynski said, noting he is for equal rights for women and is "not an enemy" of gay people. "I only think that we cannot say that there are two equal cultures," he said. "If we said so, that would mean we are saying that our fate is extinction.

"I have a certain fear here, but that does not mean that I intend to persecute anyone, that I intend to prevent him from living, from making a career, from working, from being a soldier."

Kaczynski, whose identical twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, is the prime minister, is in New York on a four-day visit to attend the annual general assembly session of the United Nations. Both brothers are former activists in the Solidarity trade union movement that helped topple communist rule in 1989–1990. (Monika Scislowska, AP)

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Be the first to comment on this story.

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above.

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.

More Exclusives

View From the Hill: The End of DADT?
Defense Secretary Robert Gates revealed that lawyers are exploring ways to ease enforcement of the military's gay ban, but cautioned that the law doesn't leave much wiggle room. He need look no further than DOD history for a lesson in altering the policy.

Hot Sheet: Week of July 5
When you get back from that big 4th of July barbecue, unwind with Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno and your favorite B-movie-mocking, basic cable robots.

Hungry Like the Wolf
A master of viola, ukulele, piano, and harp, Patrick Wolf is a music prodigy -- one who, the night before this interview, spit on a cop and got himself arrested.

Soapside: Advocate's Guide to Daytime
Forbes March talks about playing gay, Otalia fans outraged, update on One Life to Live’s Patricia Maurceri’s firing over gay plot point, Phillip Chancellor III big reveal, and Erica Kane goes to Africa.

The Faces of Federal Prop. 8
With the federal challenge to Prop. 8 moving full speed ahead, Advocate.com sits down with the two couples named as plaintiffs in the suit.

Mommy, the Gays Are Coming
After a year of advancements and celebration for gay and lesbian Colombians, the community takes to the streets of Bogota for the country's biggest pride ever.

The Pride of Antwerp
Advocate.com hits the gay-friendly streets of Antwerp with openly gay police commissioner Serge Muyters.

Excerpt: Mean Little Deaf Queer
In an excerpt from her humorous and harrowing new memoir, Mean Little Deaf Queer, Terry Galloway recalls her early childhood, describing feelings of ugliness, confusion about gender, and being one of the boys.

Top Political Blogs
From Joe.My.God to The Daily Beast, Advocate.com spotlights a few of the best blogs that cover politics, inside and way outside the Beltway.

The Diva of French Television
A hot young screenwriter who has made gay OK for millions of French viewers, Nicolas Mercier sips champagne, dons a feathered hat, and says he wants to see Colin Farrell and Jude Law go at it.