Poland's proposed
new leader calls homosexuality "unnatural"

Poland's likely new prime minister called homosexuality "unnatural" in an interview published Monday and argued that the state should intervene if homosexuals try to "infect" others with their behavior. Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, nominated by the Law and Justice Party to lead the next government, told the Polish edition of Newsweek magazine that "propagating homosexuality" constitutes an infringement on the freedom of other people.

"It is unnatural. Family is natural, and the state should safeguard the family," Marcinkiewicz said, echoing the views of other leaders of his conservative party. "If such a person tries to 'infect' others with their homosexuality, then the state has to intervene in such an abuse of freedom," he said. He did not elaborate.

Marcinkiewicz said he judges people by their actions, not sexual orientation, but stressed that "promoting homosexuality"--through parades or campaigns by gay rights groups, for instance--is unacceptable to him. Law and Justice is now in negotiations to form a government with the center-right Civic Platform, after the two took a combined majority in parliamentary elections on September 25.

They are expected to form a government within several weeks to replace the outgoing left-wing government, which was soundly defeated. Warsaw mayor Lech Kaczynski, who is Law and Justice's candidate for president in Sunday's election, has been a strong opponent of gay rights. In June he refused to grant permission for a gay rights parade in Warsaw, but some 2,000 activists marched through Warsaw despite his ban. Opponents threw eggs and stones at the marchers, and police detained 29 people. Homosexuality was a taboo subject under communist rule. The Roman Catholic Church, strengthened by the influence of the late Polish-born Pope John Paul II, also disapproves. (AP)