The Polish city of Kraków has introduced a programme of support for LGBT youth as part of a month of events aiming to promote tolerance towards minorities. A similar initiative in nearby Tarnów has, however, prompted a backlash from the Catholic church.
The scheme, called LGBT+ja (LGBT+me) and with the slogan “You have an ally in me”, is being launched to coincide with International Day Against Homophobia and Biphobia on 17 May. The aim, says the city, is to “express opposition to violence and promote allied attitudes among children and adolescents”.
The initiative is organised in cooperation with Poland’s largest child-protection NGO, the Empowering Children Foundation (FDSS). FDSS notes that 70% of young LGBT people in Poland report experiencing homophobic and transphobic violence and that half have suffered symptoms of depression.
“Non-heteronormative and transgender teenagers experience extensive abuse in Poland,” reads a statement on Kraków’s municipal website. “Many of them are accompanied by violence virtually everywhere: at school and at home, in public places and on their private social media accounts.”
The statement notes that research by Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH) found that only 25% of LGBT youths find acceptance for their identity from their mothers and just 12% from their fathers. Almost 70% have considered suicide, and 12% have done so very often.
Kraków’s campaign will take place largely online. A series of films showing teenagers talking about why and how to support LGBT peers will be broadcast on social media and through a website. The project is supported by European Union funding, as well as by French telecoms firm Orange and furniture maker IKEA.
Kraków is also holding various LGBT-related public events this month as part of its “May of Equality” initiative, which promotes tolerance and support for various minorities. This includes voluntary anti-discrimination workshops for both teenagers and children aged six to nine.
Other events include an online walk showing traces of Muslim history in Kraków, a lecture on the stigmatisation of disabled people, and a live online Q&A in English called “LGBT+ & foreigners? Where to look for help and friends”. There are also a number of activities focusing on women’s rights and Jewish history.
“There can be no freedom without equality, mutual respect and understanding,” say the city authorities, explaining that they want to foster “common areas of dialogue and emphasise the city’s commitment to combating discrimination on many levels”.
Following the mosque attack in Christchurch, Kraków decided to host an event at city hall for the small local Muslim community under the slogan 'This Is Your Home'. Around 150 attended, including a Catholic priest from Kraków diocese and a local imam https://t.co/DGB72wy2ll
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) March 23, 2019
While opinion polls have shown growing acceptance of LGBT people and support for their rights, the last two years have seen an intensive anti-LGBT campaign led by Poland’s ruling national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party.
This has included the passing of resolutions declaring opposition to “LGBT ideology” by a number of local authorities, including the Małopolska Province of which Kraków is the capital. The city’s archbishop, Marek Jędraszewski, has likened “LGBT ideology” to Nazism and communism.
However, Kraków itself – which, like most Polish cities, is run by the national opposition – has repeatedly declared its support for LGBT people as well as other minorities and threatened groups.
Mayor of Kraków: "LGBT is not an ideology. LBGT is people, who deserve respect and the right to a safe & dignified life. We are in solidarity with those whom politicians and hierarchs of the church have dehumanised. LGBT people are our friends, relatives, colleagues. LGBT is us" pic.twitter.com/hZX6wBQgVa
— Daniel Tilles (@danieltilles1) July 13, 2020
Another city in Małopolska, Tarnów, has also declared its support for the LGBT+ja campaign. It is organising voluntary classes for young people on homophobia, hosting an exhibition of art work by local youths about tolerance and diversity, and promoting a helpline for young people.
This has caused a backlash from conservative groups, reports Polskie Radio. The local Catholic curia has published a statement, signed by a number of other Catholic organisations and the theology department of Kraków’s Pontifical University, declaring opposition to the city’s involvement in the campaign.
The letter describes LGBT identities as “a serious disorder”. It says that the authorities should be “supporting [people] in overcoming them”, and not “promoting mistaken ideas”. The city’s mayor, Roman Ciepiela, however, told Gazeta Wyborcza that he will not give in to “pressure and interference”.
“I am a Catholic myself,” he notes. “However, in my work I represent all residents of Tarnów, both believers and non-believers, [and] I am guided by concern for their welfare and safety. Young people themselves asked for the opportunity to present their work and the opportunity to talk about exclusion and violence.”
Main image credit: Jakub Porzycki / Agencja Gazeta
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
