President Duda’s “Family Charter”: our response

On June 10, 2020 Polish president Andrzej Duda, currently running for the reelection, signed a document called the „Family Charter”.

This act came after one and a half year of hateful anti-LGBT+ propaganda orchestrated by his ruling party, Law and Justice, for the benefit of winning subsequent elections: European Parliament in May 2019, national government in November 2019, and presidential in June 2020.

The “Family Charter” states that “the Polish family must be provided with decent living conditions, without fearing the threat of destructive ideologies”.

The “Charter” consists of seven points, two of which directly attack our community. Those declare to “protect children from LGBT ideology”, “defend the institution of marriage” and “ban the propagation of LGBT ideology in public institutions “.

We are families, Polish families, who politicians vow to protect in empty statements. We need protection and safety. At this point, we have to fend for ourselves. It’s why we often decide to move to countries, where we are treated how every family, every person deserves to be treated.

We are people, not an ideology. We won’t magically disappear just because somebody tries to erase our existence, our experiences and certain areas declare themselves LGBT free zones.

Using our community to rise in polls by mobilizing citizens against us is vile and disgusting. History hasn’t taught you anything – you, who love to reference it so often. You drag us into your war, and all we want to do is live. We are proud of who we are. There are around three million of us in Poland. Three million citizens you’re trying to intimidate, you’re using as an instrument to play politics.

How many more children have to take their lives for you to understand what you’re doing? And is there such a number?

We’re tired, frustrated, often afraid but we also feel proud – proud of who we are, proud that we prevail despite numerous attempts to erase us and our experiences. Proud that we still fight for ourselves and our lives.

Dear “President of all Poles”, how you like to call yourself. You stand on the wrong side of history. We know we’re going to win this war you dragged us into, eventually. Future generations you pretend to care so much about by making lofty statements will judge you even harsher than we do.

To all people in our community – trans- and cisgender, gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, queer – we are a force that can’t be stopped by any charter, any bill, any news ticker. Our diversity makes us great. We are united.

We don’t fold up our flags, don’t throw them back into the closet. There will be time to rest, to take another breath. Now we fight.

Love Does Not Exclude Association | Stowarzyszenie Miłość Nie Wyklucza

 

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