Posted on 01/17/2007 10:53:50 AM PST by lizol
Will Poland face its homophobic demons?
Stewart Who?, GAY.COM
Wednesday 17 January, 2007 13:39 | More from this date |
There are hopes for a monument in the centre of Poland’s capital city to commemorate the ‘Pink Triangle’ gays who were slaughtered in Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War.
More gays were excecuted in Nazi concentration camps in Poland than in any other country invaded by Hitler during the Second World War. Between 20,000 and 40,000 died in the horrific Auschwitz camp in south west Poland.
“We have to build this monument so that the people will not forget the thousands of gays who were murdered in the concentration camps of Poland,” said Lukasz Palucki, the founder of the Citizens’ Initiative to Commemorate Gays and Lesbians.
“World War II is evidence that intolerance, anti-Semitism and homophobia lead to concentration camps. History has proved that hated towards other groups leads to homicide.
“It’s time to commemorate all the homosexuals murdered in Nazi concentration camps,” Palucki continued, adding that a similar monument was unveiled last December in Berlin.
While Palucki’s requests are justified and timely, Berlin is a very different city to Warsaw. Arguably, Poland needs to face its homophobic demons with great urgency, unlike Germany, which is a gay paradise in comparison and a hot destination for queer tourists.
Recent events in Poland suggest that it will take more than symbolic architecture to change the coutry’s backward attitude to lesbians and gays.
The backers of the monument have announced that a contest for the design is to be held next week. They hope the monument will be in place in May so that the Warsaw Gay Pride march could pass and pay respects.
Not only does this seem like wishful thinking, but the idea isn't entirely supported by all the gay community in Poland.
“It is not a wise idea,” Robert Biedroñ, the head of Kampanii Przeciw Homofobii (Campaign against Homophobia) said.
“I think that such a monument can only make people turn away from the gay community. It will be taken as litigious,” he suggested.
His fears are understandable, as a large majority of the Polish population are resistant to gay rights, and their homophobia is fully supported by the authorities.
When the 60th anniversary of the Allied “liberation” of Auschwitz was commemorated, gays were the only group ignored during the official ceremony attended by many world leaders.
Last year, in reference to the 2006 gay pride march, Wojciech Wierzejski, a front-bench member of Parliament stated; “If the deviants will start demonstrating, they need to be bashed with a thick club.”
While “allowing” Warsaw gay march, city authorities also gave official approval to an anti-gay march staged by the League of Polish Families, and along the same route, as the Gay Pride March.
It appeared that the right-wing Warsaw city government set up a potentially violent confrontation by authorising the two marches in the same place at the same time.
Some might argue that a 20-story rainbow-coloured monument would still prove inadequate under the current circumstances. What Poland really needs is pressure from the EU to brush up its human rights…and a complete change of government.
NORMAL PEOPLE, not NORMAN PEOPLE.
I am curious if one was a practicer of the dark path, just what ceremonies would one use to summon a homophobic demon? Burn the collected works of Oscar Wilde? Play Village People backwards ? Read lines from a Noel Coward play while dressed as a lumber jack? Would a picture of Fred Phelps have to be placed on the altar? Would Fred Phelps have to be placed on the altar?
If the summoning is succesful would unisex styling salons be consumed by holy fire? Would thongs for men come alive and ( eegads) strangle the wearer you know where? Would the National Endowment For The Arts take back all that funding for such gems as Piss C. ( I can not write the full title it is TOO BLASPHEMOUS)? Would the love that dare not bleet its name ( gay sheep ya know) FINALLY STFU?
God I hope so. Hey go get me my robes and pointy wizard hat and some bat wings this might be worth a shot.
How did the Nazis know they were homosexuals?
Did they execute people that liked flower-arranging and broadway showtunes?
Point of order!That was Uggedai Qua Quan. Chinnghis died some 14 years before Mongol armies attacked Poland.
Quick answer: NO Change the govt.? How? They sit around and stew about this all day long, all week, all year. Why can't these people just be gay? They are anything but gay, they're mean, they're dirty, they are rotten to the core. I used to care not a whit about them. Now I wish they would all drop dead
I believe the triangles in question were lavender.
I read recently that only 48 homosexuals were imprisoned in Auchwitz and only 12 was killed. The most important thing is the fact that all of them were GERMAN! Monument in Warsaw is planned to commemorate supposed POLISH homosexuals! This is historic revisionism aimed to push their dirty agenda.
20-story rainbow-coloured monument... WOW
Warsaw would be famous for having the ugliest construction in the World...
You forget about palace!
:)
Because homosexuals are not a "group". A Jew who takes it up the butt is still a Jew.
They're projecting again....
They're projecting again....
I am a big fan of Dr. Orpheus, even if he is a little, well, you know.
bump with no comment
I've seen worse buildings than this palace ;)
I will consider this idea if they would include Legia's logo somewhere inside of the rainbow. Momument would quickly turn into ruin anyway :)
What is wrong with having a healthy fear of homosexuals??? I don't get it. Homophobe and proud of it!
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