A Polish gay couple sews and hands out rainbow veils. In a country filled with LGBT hate, he's getting unexpected reactions
Jakub and Dawid are already quite well-known in Poland (not only), as they openly fight for the rights of the LGBT community and also try to change the view of Polish society on same-sex cohabitation. By giving a glimpse of their private lives on social media, for example, they also show that they live like anyone else, regardless of their sexual orientation. Nevertheless, especially in recent times, there has been a growing resentment towards LGBT people in Poland, which has been targeted mainly by the ruling conservative Law and Justice party (in cooperation with the Church, of course). For example, anti-LGBT zones are being marked out in Poland, and it is commonly voiced in the public space that homosexuality is an invasive foreign invention that threatens Poland's traditional identity. But sometimes things are more rainbow than black and white...
Because, as in the Czech Republic, there were not enough protective veils in Poland, the partners decided to borrow a sewing machine from their grandmother and sewed several hundred veils, which are definitely unconventional, because they are rainbow-coloured. "There is a lack of basic protective equipment in our country, so we made the veils and took them to the streets," says the partners, who handed out their products for free to citizens and filmed their reactions on video.
For the anti-LGBT atmosphere in the country, however, the reactions were unexpectedly kind (except for a few moments). Sure, some may not be familiar with the symbolism of the rainbow at all, but it's clear from the footage that at least some of them are quite in the know. The latter responds by saying he doesn't mind. Even the stern-looking security guard eventually expresses gratitude to the gay couple for distributing the drapes. "We are tired, but happy, because it turns out that the rainbow doesn't actually hurt anyone, it can't 'infect' anyone, but it can actually provide protection," Jakub and Dawid conclude their video.
As the example shows, probably the most effective weapon against hatred and discrimination is kindness and a positive attitude. "In Poland, more than a third of the territory is made up of anti-LGBT zones, so we were a bit afraid of how people would react to us. But it was obvious that they were really moved by our idea. I think they really appreciated that someone cared about their health," Jakub told the Polish newspaper Star Observer, adding that many in Poland consider homosexuality a "plague" . I know it's naive, but if one can do something good, one shouldn't wait a minute to do it," he concluded.
And so - regardless of whether the recipients are even aware of the symbolism the rainbow carries - it's actually good that people can help each other in times of crisis. This is true regardless of colour, nationality, religion or even sexual orientation.
