Three activists, Elżbieta, Joanna and Anna, responded to the homophobic decoration of the Easter Tomb of the Lord in 2019 at the parish church of St. Kolbe in Płock. Above the cross with a white-and-red sash was the inscription “Save us from the fire of unbelief,” while beneath the cross were boxes bearing the words: “Hate,” “Contempt,” “Greed,” “Theft,” as well as “Gender,” “LGBT” and “Deviance.”
The images of Our Lady of Częstochowa and Jesus with rainbow halos posted around the church were a way of opposing contempt and hatred and of supporting people with minority sexual orientations. Equality activists see in the image of Our Lady of Equality a symbol of maternal care and protection for everyone, especially people who are marginalized and excluded.
The activists on the trial and its context:
The hearing lasted eight hours. There was a demonstration outside the court. Several dozen people supported us.
We were prepared for Kaja Godek's visit.
It was difficult to listen to. The courtroom became a spectacle of homophobic hatred.
There was talk of illness and deviance.
How is a young person supposed to feel when deprived of support and hearing such words from the church?
While preparing for this action, I was thinking about young people.
The rainbow against the halo is a six-color rainbow, a symbol of the LGBT community. We are not referring to biblical symbolism.
At the trial, the priest equated sexual orientation with sin and wrongdoing.
The Church has become accustomed to having an influence on politics.
We received many words of support from various places, including New York.
We used the six-color rainbow motif, a symbol of absolutely unconditional love, regardless of who someone is.
I hope we managed to prove that we acted in good faith and for a just cause.
Nearly 70% of LGBT teenagers have experienced some form of violence. Almost as many have had suicidal thoughts.
We wanted to prevent the further escalation of the campaign of harassment and incitement against LGBT people.
We encourage the media to be open to people representing the LGBT community. We encourage them to talk with them so that they have their own voice and their place.
This is another case concerning the offending of religious feelings in which the prosecutor's office acted with extraordinary zeal—a zeal so lacking when it comes to prosecuting pedophiles in clerical robes. Let us recall that proceedings concerning rainbow flags hung on monuments in the capital during the summer were discontinued. Meanwhile, the prosecutor's office searched for the alleged perpetrators of that action with extraordinary tenacity, worthy of a better cause. This year, the trial of three activists who toppled a monument to priest Jankowski in Gdańsk will also begin. The prosecutor's office has filed an indictment, and the activists face up to five years in prison.