Wolna Szkoła
As Polish parlament moves closer to passing the so-called “Lex Czarnek”, designed —in the name of protecting “the morality of children”— to increase governmental control of school curricula and, by implication, eliminate access to teaching about LGBT+ rights, we want to begin our 2022 calendar of posts with this reminder of the pernicious effects of political decisions like this. Not only do they endanger legal recognition of LGBT+ people, but they also combine with other factors —these days, above all, the pandemic— to erode the prospect of a happy life for many.
AllInc!’s Barto kindly sent us this report, released by KPH (Campaign Against Homophobia) and based on data collected 2019-21, among whose findings the following stand out:
- almost 50% of LGBT+ people experience depression symptoms; those living in so-called “LGBT-free zones” report more frequently experiencing suicidal thoughts;
- the percentage of those who abstain from disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity within their families is rising;
- thousands would consider moving to live abroad;
- violence at home has risen;
- homelessness (either because they have been thrown out of their homes, or because they have run away themselves) has increased among LGBT+ people;
- significant number among specialists (in medicine or in education) still recommend treatment for “disorders” of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Dziękuję Barto for bringing this to our attention!
Information on the “Wolna Szkoła” campaign can be found at the Amnesty International’s Polish chapter website.
