Polish MP sorry for ‘sexist’ lesbian joke
A Polish MP has said sorry for a joke he made about about lesbians – although he maintains his views on homosexuality have not changed.
Robert Wegrzyn of the center-right Civic Platform party was asked by news station TVN24 for his views on gay civil partnerships.
According to Reuters, he replied: “We can forget about gay men, but I would gladly watch lesbians.”
He continued: “Human nature, human beings are made in such a way that we should live in a partnership according to nature. If somebody wants to live differently, that’s his problem but he should not flaunt it.”
After angry complaints from women’s groups, Mr Wegrzyn backtracked, saying: “I am sorry if this joke insulted anybody because it really could have sounded sexist. That was not my intention.”
He added: “My views on relationships between two people are unchanging and conservative but this does not mean I am a homophobe or discriminate against anybody… I oppose discrimination against anybody on grounds of sexual orientation.”
Tomasz Tomczykiewicz, the head of PO’s parliamentary group, said Mr Wegrzyn would be fined for the “silly” and “irresponsible” remarks.
In September, Polish equality minister Elżbieta Radziszewska was accused of homophobia for saying that Catholic schools should have the right to sack gay teachers.
Homosexuality is legal in Poland but couples cannot adopt children and there is no legal recognition of their relationships. The Polish capital Warsaw hosted EuroPride this year.
