Coming into Poland, I knew that attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community were not on the positive side. In fact, Poland is the second worst country to live in as a member of the LGBTQ+ within the EU. I was surprised when our tour guide pointed out the Pride Parade happening in Krakow during our stay. Having never been to a Pride event before, I had no idea what to expect. Below are my reflections from the Krakow Pride Parade.
After reading a few articles regarding protests against the parade, I wasn’t surprised to see a heavy police presence at the event. Rows and rows of police men and women in full riot gear leading and surrounding the parade seemed like quite a sufficient deterrent to any would-be-protestor, of which I saw none. However, I couldn’t help but wonder how these police officers felt about the event they were assigned to, as none of them looked too pleased to be there.
The thing that warmed my heart the most was the beautiful people I met. Everyone was so friendly and lovely. I met people from Canada visiting family in Krakow, students of Krakow from different grade levels, and people from many different communities, with each person greeting me with a smile. Seeing everyone celebrating each other in such a peaceful, fun, and positive way sparked many emotions inside me. As a recently out queer woman, I understand on some level what it is like to have to hide who you are in different communities and situations. Knowing that many of these people present at this event cannot normally be out in their regular daily lives made this parade all the more powerful for me.
Pride is so important in every community. Seeing all of the different communities of the LGBTQ+ spectrum present in one place embracing each others’ unique aspects with love and kindness was very cool to witness. Many people hold prejudices against certain communities for simple fears of the unknown, or because something is different. This simple motivation for hatred is what has and continues to spark antisemitism in the world, as well as violence against certain minority groups. If we as a global community are ever to truly embrace the narrative of “never again” as it relates to genocide and the Holocaust, we have to start embracing and celebrating our differences. Pride Parades and events like this one in Krakow are great steps in the right direction, and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to witness the celebration of so many beautiful people.
1 comment
I’m so proud that you five ventured out to Krakow on your day off…what an exciting adventure for you to do something on your own on a very structured trip. And to arrive at the time of a Pride Parade given what we are studying was quite fortuitous I think. Your final statements about celebrating difference is so important. Thank you for the post.