The Equality March passed through the streets of Nowy Sącz
Almost 400 people marched through the streets of Nowy Sącz on Sunday in the city’s first ever Equality March. Despite the autumn weather, it was loud, colorful, and cheerful. “My beloved Sącz – we are at home! We have always been, are, and will always be at home here!” said Justyna from Queer May.
Despite the ban issued by President Ludomir Handzel, which was overturned by the Nowy Sącz District Court last week, the Equality March took place on Sunday in the streets of Nowy Sącz. There was a platform with music, balloons, and lots of rainbows. The turnout was also good, with around 400 people taking part in the event. “We will no longer pretend that we do not exist. We will no longer sit in the closet. We will no longer allow ourselves to be humiliated, ridiculed, lied about, scared of, and scared. Not in Warsaw, not in Krakow, and not in Nowy Sącz!” said Justyna from our Association, one of the organizers of the Equality March. She appealed to show all LGBT people from the Sądecczyzna region that “they are not alone, that they do not have to be afraid, that together we have the strength and power to break the spell over this region. I want to believe that in the near future, no LGBT person will have to flee from here, will not have to live in fear, will not have to hide.” Magda Dropek from the Równość.org.pl Foundation also spoke. She recalled that two years ago, the then mayor, Ryszard Nowak, did not want a film about civil partnerships and marriage equality, “Article 18,” to be shown in his city. Local politicians emphasized that in a city that had adopted St. Margaret as its patron saint, there was no place for such events in a public institution. “Politicians come and go, power comes and goes. But unfortunately, their belief in the homophobia of Poles often remains—dear mayor, dear president, dear politicians – society is more progressive than you are,” she said.
Despite the fact that local Left-wing politicians appealed to postpone the event due to the elections, Maciej Gdula, the leader of the Left-wing list in Krakow, and Maria Łaś from Razem (Together) attended. Gdula said that “Homosexual people are at home because they are in Nowy Sącz, they have always been and always will be. Today, we are fighting so that they don’t have to hide.” “The quality of democracy in Poland today depends on this march and many similar ones,” – added Maria Łaś.
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