Pro-LGBT parade to be held in Poland amid national election campaign
As Poland’s October 13 parliamentary elections approach, the country’s LGBT community will hold a parade in Lublin today, the latest in a series of parades that have turned into protests in the last two months.
A 1997 constitutional amendment made same-sex marriage illegal in Poland. Currently, only 32% of Polish citizens support a reversal of that amendment.
Since coming to power in 2013, the right-wing Law and Justice Party (PiS) has blocked numerous pieces of legislation that have sought to introduce civil partnerships for same-sex marriages. PiS has taken an even stronger stance against same-sex marriage in its campaign rhetoric this year, framing the debate around national security and education in an effort to tap into a conservative, Catholic voting base.
With all 560 MPs—460 in the lower house and 100 in the upper house—facing reelection in October, Poland is entering a hyper-politicised period. While the opposition PO party, which has majority control in districts near Warsaw, has adopted more LGBT-friendly policy stances, the small momentum it has gained in the capital and other cities, like Lublin, is not likely to impact national policies. Indeed, PiS is leading PO 44% to 26% in election polls, making the incumbent party all the more likely to double down on its current stances.
Wake up smarter with an assessment of the stories that will make headlines in the next 24 hours. Download The Daily Brief.
