Politico launched their ‘Class of 2020’: the 28 people that influenced European politics the most over the last year. Jerzy Kwasniewski, from the Polish ultraconservative organisation Ordo Iuris is one of the 28
His organisation is responsible for the ban on abortion and the creation of ‘LGBTI Free Zones’ in Poland. While we all think it is unfortunate such a person has so much influence, actually Politico did a good job with nominating hi mto raise awareness.
Through deception and infiltration, his organisation has influenced Polish AND European politics considerably.
Over the last decade, anti-democracy and illiberal forces have teamed up to fight the core of what the European Union stands for.
With the help of American evangelicals and Russian oligarchs close to the Kremlin, the anti-gender and anti-LGBTI movement has picked women’s rights activists and the LGBTI-community as the scapegoat to materialise their worldview.
The women’s rights activists and LGBTI-community, all across the EU, is in the frontline to defend our human rights and democracy.
In the last year, we have seen trans rights being wiped away, LGBTI Free Zones in two member states, Gender Studies’ academics under fire and LGBTI and women-rights activists detained during peaceful protests.
Mid December , I was on a virtual mission to Poland with the LGBTI Intergroup in the European Parliament
It was extremely shocking to see how much fear the activists on the ground have, and how tired they are to fight a never-ending war with well-organised and well-financed organisations like Ordo Iuris.
Many of the Polish LGBTI-activists are nowadays being sued by Ordo Iuris and the government for amongst other things defamation.
While organisations like Ordo Iuris, but also wider European organisations, have big legal teams, our activists rely on pro bono lawyers and crowdfunding for their defence.
We, as democrats need a ‘counter Ordo Iuris’, an institute or think-tank that prevents LGBTI-activists from being sued, and provide pro-active strategical thinking on how to defend democracy & human rights, provide sustainable legal assistance across the Union to our democracy defenders, AND structurally monitor the anti-gender, anti-LGBTI or even more general anti-democracy movement.
There is no time to wait anymore. It is time to act.
My wish for 2021 is that all HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS come together and mobilize against the ANTI-GENDER AND ANTI -LGBTI movements.
A good read during the Christmas break is this study by Elena Zachrenko and published by MEP Heidi HAUTALA for on the anti gender movement in Europe!
Women’s rights and LGBTI-rights are human rights – everywhere in the European Union.
We need to stand up to secure the fundamental rights of our EU citizens.
copyright picture:
