The rights of LGBT+ people is very obvious in the 21st century. Discrimination because of one’s sexual orientations seems to be something that doesn’t belong in our modern, democratic world. The recent events in Poland proved that unfortunately this is not the case. Faced with a great amount of hate and violence, LGBT+ people in Poland feel that they cannot feel safe even in their own country. Discrimination is common not only in workplaces, but also in families and schools. One of the many organisations working to change the situation is “Kampania przeciw homofobii” (“Campaign against homophobia”, a non-governmental organisation working for human rights since 2001). Just like last year, it initiated an event called “Rainbow Friday”, which took place on the 25th October.
On this day, both students and teachers in schools of all kinds all over the country showed solidarity with the LGBT+ community by wearing a rainbow element. This simple action was supposed to create a safe space for LGBT+ youth and show that they are accepted in their schools. Something very simple and harmless. Well, not for everyone.
The initiative was condemned not only by many religious officials, but also by conservative, right-winged politicians (especially from the ruling Law and Justice party). They argued that school is not a place for “ideology” and that “Rainbow Friday” will have a negative effect on the youth. They failed to recognise the scale of discrimination young LGBT+ people face on a daily basis and the consequences this has, not only on their education, but most importantly on their everyday lives, their self-acceptance, confidence and feeling of safety. They also seemed to have forgotten about the suicides of children who could not cope with the lack of acceptance of their relatives and surrounding.
The statistics really are shocking. Over 70% of LGBT+ people face some sort of violence during their lives and nearly 30% of this happens in schools. Aggression is not only limited to physical, but also psychological violence, such as bullying or exclusion from certain groups. Cyber bullying is very common, as people feel that they can do what they want on the internet. When the violence takes place in schools, fellow students and teachers often do not react, leaving the victim on their own. The lack of places were young people could feel safe and respected makes the problem very serious, which emphasizes the importance of initiatives like the “Rainbow Friday”, which should be supported by adequate governmental organisations.
The Polish Ministry of Education had different plans for that day. They thought of an initiative called “The school remembers” (“Szkoła pamięta”). Its main goals were to commemorate the heroes and all people who died during the past conflicts, for example by visiting cemeteries or organising discussions about local history. The Ministry also encouraged parents to strongly oppose to the organisation of the “Rainbow Friday” if it is something incompatible with their world-view.
Despite being condemned by many, “Rainbow Fridays” were organised in many schools. Students often faced many difficulties during organising this initiative, as some headmasters and teachers were not eager to support them or even accept this in their schools. In extreme cases, students were forced to remove all rainbow flags, badges etc. On the other hand, organisations such as Protest z Wykrzyknikiem (which contributed to the organisation of the teacher strike in April this year) and many others showed great support, through converting their Facebook page to a safe zone for LGBT+ youth. Some Polish celebrities also spoke to not only show their active support, but also to make the society aware of the difficulties LGBT+ people in Poland have to face.
In Dwójka, people with rainbow elements in their clothing could be seen everywhere. Almost everyone had something colourful – from flags, bags and multi-coloured t-shirts, to small badges or rainbows drawn on wrists. A photo was made to make this event remembered for longer. The atmosphere was very welcoming and positive, with a great feeling of solidarity and acceptance.
Young Polish people did not listen to the voices telling them to give up the organisation of “Rainbow Fridays”. Hundreds of schools and thousands of students took part in the initiative, proving that they are tolerant, open-minded and empathetic. Students showed that they will not accept discrimination and creating unnecessary divisions between people, and instead focus on creating acceptance, understanding and unity, which can make the world a better place for all.
1349 IB World School Journal 