POLISH SKINHEADS ATTACK GAY MARCHERS
Police and skinheads fought in Krakow, Poland, May 7 following a gay-rights march by 1,500 people.
Some 200 counterdemonstrators had pelted the gays with firecrackers, eggs, bottles and rocks during the march.
When the march ended, police suggested the gays leave in small groups to diffuse the situation, but the skinheads gave chase anyway.
'It was probably the worst decision they could take—to let people leave in small groups,' said Sylwester Gumienny of Campaign Against Homophobia. 'While everyone was going through the park towards the Old Town Square, all the skinheads and neo-Nazis started running after us. ... We stormed into the square trying to find a place to hide but the restaurant owners did not let us in.'
A mêlée quickly ensued.
'Two minutes later the police was there and the fights started,' Gumienny said. 'Glasses and bottles that were on the tables outside the restaurants started flying at police officers and everyone else. Confused tourists did not know what is going on. Mothers with children were trying to escape the place. Then the police started shooting in the air to calm down the situation. ... The fights between the hooligans and police lasted till late in the evening. They arrested 20 [of the] most aggressive of them. Two people are in the hospital, one with a face burned as one of those Nazis threw a bag with acid into a crowd.'
Conservative political parties had lobbied the city unsuccessfully to prohibit the march.
'The most appalling [thing] was the fact that the youth aggressors were encouraged and coordinated by local politicians,' Gumienny said. 'We are preparing lawsuits against them.'
DUTCH GAYS FIGHT TO HAVE MARRIAGES RECOGNIZED ABROAD
Dutch gays have formed a new organization to fight for recognition of their marriages when they travel outside the Netherlands.
The Netherlands, Belgium, three Canadian provinces and one U.S. state let same-sex couples marry.
The Love Exiles Foundation was launched May 9 in Amsterdam.
'Dutch gays and lesbians still lack essential rights they need to protect themselves and their families when they go abroad,' the founders said. 'If you are outside the Netherlands and your partner is hospitalized, you may be excluded from making medical decisions or even visiting your partner in the hospital. ... In most countries, our relationships are not recognized for immigration purposes. Even within the EU [the 25-nation European Union] we cannot move as partners and maintain our rights in another country. We live on an island of acceptance. We need a world, not an island.'
Only 16 of the world's 192 nations allow citizens to sponsor their same-sex partner or spouse for immigration: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
See www.loveexiles.org .
