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Once a month y move to town hall of S?upsk and pray Rosary. In Poland, where black Madonna of Czestochowa is considered a national sanctuary, this is not unusual at first. But pious groups of mostly about 20 people is moving furr ahead of house of Robert Biedro?. “Holy Mary, mor of God, please for our sinners”, is n also heard re. Biedro? has been mayor of 90,000 inhabitants city since 2014. And he knows what y have in mind: “They believe that homosexuality is a disease and that y have to heal me with ir prayers.”
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The 1976 born Biedro? has known such and worse homophobic reactions since his youth in souast Polish Rymanów, when y almost drove him to suicide. They have also always accompanied him during his political career. Even left-liberal SLD, which he joined in 1998, was too risky as a gay parliamentarian. In 2001 he founded NGO “Campaign Against Homophobia”, which he led until 2009. “Only Janusz Palikot offered me 2011 a high-ranking list and thus opportunity to move into Sejm,” says graduate political scientist.
The entry of Palikots Twój Ruch (your movement) into Parliament was at that time a revolution. For with Biedro?, country not only got its first openly homosexual parliamentarian, but also first transsexual as a Sejm member with Anna Grodzka. A shock to Conservatives. “Look at how youth has chosen. That’s awful! These are Sodomites “, Schmipfte n clergyman Tadeusz Rydzyk, founder and chief of media empire around National Catholic Radio Maryja.
Campaigning without money, without party
But it was not permanent agitation of national conservatives, which Twój Ruch a severe defeat in 2015 parliamentary elections, it was rar internal disputes and lack of ideas. The Antiklerikale programme, which advocated a secular state, proved too thin in long term to go beyond status of a protest party. The only exception was Robert Biedro?, who quickly developed reputation of a committed politician and most diligent parliamentarian of legislature.
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Which resulted in Biedro? already 2014 next revolution on his own account. With just 20,000 Z?oty (approximately 5,000 euros) in cashier, he joined S?UPSK, where n 37-year-old had his constituency, as an independent candidate for mayoral elections. “At my office hours in constituency bureau came many people who asked me for help with ir problems. Some people even wanted to talk, “explains Biedro?, who motivated him. “Because we lacked money and any partisan support, we conducted campaign on street, looking for contact with residents.”
Biedro?s candidacy brought his opponents toger, as is hardly imaginable in today’s Poland: In order to prevent first open-minded gay mayor of country, candidate of first round to third place National Conservative PiS before decisive second round for his adversary from liberal conservative Po. Two parties, who hate each or deeply and whose competition has deeply split Polish society for years, suddenly had a common goal.
But neir this extraordinary coalition nor insults of local football ultras could prevent Biedro?s success: With 57.1 percent, professed aist decided second ballot for himself. And citizens of S?UPSK are apparently still satisfied with this decision: according to current polls, Biedro? in local elections in autumn, which also have an enormous significance in terms of country policy, should already have necessary absolute Majority.
