Bartosz Staszewski

Bartosz Staszewski (born 23 September 1990 in Malmö)[1] is a Polish director, social and LGBT activist. He is a creator of a documentary film Article Eighteen, co-founder of the Equality March in Lublin association and Miłość Nie Wyklucza foundation, which promotes same-sex marriage in Poland.[2]

Staszewski accepting the 2019 Toleranti award in Switzerland

Activism

Lublin Pride
2018 Equality March in Lublin

In 2018 Staszewski was the formal organizer of the First Equality March in Lublin. Five days before the March, on 8 October, the President of Lublin, Krzysztof Żuk, banned both the Equality March and the counter-meetings announced against it, citing a law which allows banning a public gathering due to the threat to life, health or property of people.[3]

Staszewski appealed against the prohibition decision to the district court, which upheld it. It was revoked the day before the March by the appellate court.[4]

In April 2019, the Association for Equality March in Lublin (Stowarzyszenie Marsz Równości w Lublinie) was established, whose goal is to act for the benefit of LGBT communities in Lublin and the Lublin Province, including the organization of the equality march.[5]

Similarly to the situation in the previous year, on 24 September 2019, Krzysztof Żuk issued a ban of the Second Equality March in Lublin, planned for 28 September. Staszewski, as the organizer of the March, appealed against his decision to the court, which reversed the ban two days later.[6]

Rainbow flag of Poland
Rainbow flag of Poland at the 2018 Equality March in Częstochowa (Staszewski on the left)

During the March in Częstochowa in 2018, Bartosz Staszewski carried the Polish flag with a white eagle on a rainbow background. According to conservative and right-wing circles, such a display constituted an insult to the state symbols, and the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration Joachim Brudziński accused Staszewski of desecrating the national symbols of Poland.[7]

Brudziński's actions triggered protests of the LGBT community under the slogan Rainbow does not offend (Tęcza nie obraża), the prosecutor's office refused to initiate an investigation due to the lack of signs of a criminal act.[8] This case popularized this version of the flag among the LGBT community.[9]

LGBT-free zones

On 24 July 2019, the conservative weekly newspaper Gazeta Polska started to distribute 'LGBT-free zone' stickers.[10] In response to this action, Staszewski filed a lawsuit for the violation of personal rights against the newspaper together with a motion to withdraw the stickers. The Regional Court in Warsaw ordered that the distribution of stickers be suspended until the case is considered by the court.[11]

In response to discriminatory resolutions of local governments, which have declared themselves zones free of the 'LGBT ideology', Staszewski carried out a photographic project in which he takes pictures of signs marking the entrance to the village with the 'LGBT Free Zone' sign, which refers to real road signs.[12] In some of the photos, he additionally portrays LGBT people who live in the 'zone'.[13][14][15][16]

Filmography

See also

References
  1. Hannakampf, Sabine (6 October 2019). "European Tolerantia Awards 2019". männer* (in German). Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  2. "Zespół". Miłość Nie Wyklucza (in Polish). Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  3. AG (2018-10-09). "Marsz Równości w Lublinie. Prezydent Krzysztof Żuk zakazał marszu i kontrmanifestacji". Kurier Lubelski (in Polish). Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  4. Wschodni, Dziennik. "Wojewoda lubelski i Marsz Równości. Sąd podjął decyzję ws. kolejnych przeprosin". Dziennik Wschodni (in Polish). Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  5. "Nasza historia". Marsz Równości w Lublinie. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  6. "Marsz Równości 2019. Sąd uchylił zakaz prezydenta Lublina". Onet Lublin (in Polish). 2019-09-26. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  7. "Biały orzeł na tęczowym tle. Minister Brudziński zarzuca "profanację" symboli narodowych". TVN24. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  8. "Tęczowy orzeł to nie profanacja symboli narodowych. Prokuratura odmówiła wszczęcia śledztwa". gazetapl (in Polish). Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  9. "Tęcza nie obraża? "Dzięki fobiom Brudzińskiego flaga dotarła do szerszej publiczności" [WYWIAD]". www.gazetaprawna.pl. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  10. "Polish paper to issue 'LGBT-free zone' stickers". BBC News. 2019-07-18. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  11. "Polish Court Rebukes "LGBT-Free Zone" Stickers". Human Rights Watch. 2019-08-01. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  12. "Strefy Wolne od LGBT". strefywolneodlgbt.pl. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  13. "Activist fights homophobia in Poland with photo series of 'LGBT-free' zones".
  14. Src='https://Secure.gravatar.com/Avatar/972d5c3f06252c6e0f628095b70f1b13?s=96, <img Alt='' ;='' #038;d='mm;' Srcset='https://Secure.gravatar.com/Avatar/972d5c3f06252c6e0f628095b70f1b13?s=192, #038;r=g' ;='' #038;d='mm;' Monecke,='' #038;r='g' 2x'='' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' />Nina. "Diese queeren Menschen leben in Polen in sogenannten LGBT-freien Zonen". ze.tt (in German). Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  15. Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "FAZ o polskich strefach wolnych od LGBT | DW | 28.02.2020". DW.COM (in Polish). Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  16. "En Europe de l'Est, la guerre du genre est déclarée". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2020-02-21. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
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