A Gay Atheist Plots to Save His Catholic Country

 | 
04/29/2019

A dozen Virgin Mary figurines decorate Robert Biedron’s office in Warsaw, picked from about 400 or so he’s gathered from across the world. Some show her smiling or suffering, some with dark or pale skin and others skinny, plump or even pregnant. Such a collection might not be unusual in Poland, a devout bastion of the Catholic Church and birthplace of Pope John Paul II. What’s unusual is the collector: a gay atheist who wants to pull his country back into the European mainstream and away from the pious nationalism and homophobia that’s permeated society under the government that won power in 2015 and is seeking re-election this year. Biedron, 43, is the first openly LGBT politician in Poland, which has emerged as a key battleground in the war between the rival political forces fighting over the European Union’s future. His party, Spring, is less than three months old, but opinion polls suggest it could get to play kingmaker should a pro-EU alliance of opposition parties eat into support for the governing Law & Justice party.

Regions: ,

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 12/24/2024
12/24/2024
2024 saw many historic and horrifying moments – nationally and globally. Beyond genocides, alarming climate records, and civil unrest – sexual and gender-based violence …
Added on: 12/24/2024
12/23/2024
Amid a flurry of recent school board policies aimed at the rights of transgender students, California passed a new law in July that prevents …
Added on: 12/24/2024
12/23/2024
The court in Douala, Cameroon, has now released all but one of the 13 people who were arrested on homosexuality-related charges after a Sept. …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from ,

Added on: 12/24/2024
The Law on the Protection of Minors from Negative Effects of Public Information posited an antiquated belief that minors are adversely affected by information …
Added on: 12/23/2024
Sandi Toksvig, the Danish-British comedian, broadcaster and activist, is getting ready to put on a Christmas show, heading back to the same stage in …
Added on: 12/22/2024
Is it the worst time to be gay in Russia? How unsafe is the LGBTQIA+ community under President Vladimir Putin? How has the political …