Thousands of
people marched Saturday in the Polish capital's annual gay
rights parade, days after the education minister called for
a ban on the ''propagation of homosexuality'' in
Poland's schools.
About 5,000
demonstrators marched from parliament through downtown, amid
a heavy police presence, led by a truck festooned with red,
blue, green, and purple balloons and blasting strains
of loud music. Some marchers carried placards reading
''Stop homophobia,'' while others toted rainbow flags,
a symbol for gays worldwide.
''This was the
largest parade we've held in Poland,'' parade organizer
Tomasz Baczkowski said. ''Polish society has opened its
eyes, and they know what democracy, equality, and
diversity mean.''
The Equality
Parade comes as an increasingly vocal gay rights movement
faces off against conservative leaders who have openly
denounced homosexuality. Homosexuality largely remains
taboo in predominantly Catholic Poland and elsewhere
in Eastern Europe, and activists are up against a
widespread belief that it is a perversion.
In past years gay
rights rallies in Warsaw and the western city of Poznan
resulted in violent clashes, but no incidents were reported
Saturday. On Wednesday education minister Roman
Giertych called for a ban on the ''propagation of
homosexuality'' in the country's schools, a plan that he
argues would protect traditional family values.
Giertych--who leads the ultraconservative League
of Polish Families, a junior partner in Poland's
governing coalition--insisted his proposals ''do not
discriminate against anyone.''
''It is only to
protect youth from the propagation of views that threaten
marriage, threaten family, and threaten the duties of
school, which are to prepare one to fulfill family
duties and the duties of a citizen,'' he said.
Robert Biedron,
head of the Campaign Against Homophobia, called the
proposals ''terrifying.''
''They don't only
rape the constitution but also violate the basic norms
of the European Union, such as pluralism, tolerance, and
democracy,'' Biedron said after the march.
Giertych unveiled
his proposal less than a month after the European
Parliament passed a resolution sharply criticizing senior
Polish officials for declarations ''inciting
discrimination and hatred based on sexual
orientation.'' Marcher Witold Serafin, 30, argued that
''there is no equality'' for gays in Poland but added
that discrimination is slowly tapering off, thanks to
the attention politicians like Giertych draw to the
issue.
''The more
politicians fight against homosexuality, the more regular
people seem to accept it,'' Serafin said.
The far-right
All-Polish Youth, the official youth wing of the League of
Polish Families until late last year, held a small
counterdemonstration nearby with placards reading
''Homo go home.''
Prime Minister
Jaroslaw Kaczynski's socially conservative government has
made defending traditional Roman Catholic values a
cornerstone of its platform. Kaczynski's twin brother,
President Lech Kaczynski, refused to grant parade
permits for gay rights marches while he served as mayor of
Warsaw. (Ryan Lucas, AP)