Several left-leaning Polish MPs decided to protest the swearing-in if Poland's anti-LGBTQ+ President in a very creative way: they dressed in rainbow colors for the ceremony.
President Andrzej Duda—a favorite of President Donald Trump—was sworn in on August 6th, marking the beginning of his second term as President.
Duda repeatedly lashed out at same-sex couples during his campaign for re-election, even going so far as to promistle to ban adoption by same-sex couples.
According to Pink News, many of Poland's LGBTQ+ population have reported leaving Poland in hopes of finding a better life elsewhere, given that the President is so against them.
In response to Duda's re-election on such a hateful platform, MPs from the left-wing alliance Lewica chose to coordinate their outfits to form a rainbow flag in Parliament during the ceremony.
Magda Biejat, MP from the Razem party, said:
"The President of Poland should defend the rights of all citizens."
One LGBTQ+ activist from Krakow, Magda Dropek, told Pink News she was really touched.
"For me it was a strong message that we are not left behind. I know that the next few years will be difficult for our community but we won't give up."
The demonstration resonated with folks on Twitter as well.
This demonstration by MPs means a lot, but all is not well for LGBT+ people in Poland.
Human Rights Watch is calling for an end to the recent crackdown on LGBTQ+ activists, which resulted in the arrest of around 50 activists during a standoff with police over the arrest of a trans activist named Margot.
Margot and other activists were arrested for placing rainbow flags on Warsaw statues, which police are calling "insulting religious feelings and insulting Warsaw monuments."
While this may seem like a humorous charge, due to Poland's fairly vague blasphemy laws, it's actually quite serious. "Insulting religious feelings" is a charge that can carry up to a 2 year prison sentence if convicted.
Amid rising tensions between LGBT+ activists and Polish police, this demonstration by allied MPs is an indicator that all hope is not lost—but there is still a lot of work to do.
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