The parade was staged against the backdrop of a perceived rise in hostility towards LGBTI rights under the Law and Justice government. One of the reasons given for the low level of reporting is that LGBTI rights are not inscribed in law. While no Law and Justice politicians have made explicitly homophobic statements, LGBTI rights are simply not on the government’s agenda. One remaining senior civil servant, ombudsman Adam Bodnar, does have the power to bring cases – such as those affecting ethnic minorities and LGBTI rights – to the constitutional tribunal. Thousands of people have marched with rainbow flags through Warsaw in a sign of defiance against a rising tide of extremism under Poland’s nationalist Law and Justice government.

Source: The Guardian June 11, 2016 17:27 UTC