Polish MP opposes equal marriage because ‘gays are no use whatsoever to society’
An Member of Parliament for the right-wing Polish opposition party has made homophobic remarks in a speech at a recent debate around the legalisation of equal marriage in the country.
Krystyna Pawlowicz MP, said, in a loosely translated speech which appeared on YouTube, that she could “not sponsor” legislation to allow equal marriage because gay people “are of no use whatsoever to society”.
A Polish citizen, Przemek Repetowicz, translated Pawlowicz’s speech during which she said: “After analysing proposals it comes to my mind that the reason for striving for legalising partnerships is mainly a will to profiting from privileges assigned to marriage.
Pawlowicz said: “Here I mean such privileges as in taxation, inheritance, housing, management and others that make life simpler. Unfortunately the society cannot sponsor a sweet life to short-lasting, vane [sic] & futile relationships of persons that are of no use whatsoever to society, sponsor only because of a sexual bond between those persons.”
Speaking to Gay Community News, Repetowicz said: “This speech is not only homophobic but shows how narrow minded the major right-wing party in the Polish parliament is.”
Now with the official backing of her party, the third-biggest in Poland, and her party leader, Janusz Palikot, Ms Grodzka may become one of Poland’s deputy parliamentary speakers in the 460-member lower house.
Historically a Catholic country, Poland has been divided in the past over LGBT rights issues.
The poll by TNS Polska indicated that in 2003, 8% of Polish people supported marriage equality, which had risen to 16% in 2012.
