Polish far-right's 'no gay sex' logo sparks anger

Polish gay rights campaigners on Wednesday denounced a court ruling that allowed a far-right movement to formally register a homophobic symbol as one of its logos. "Such symbols tap directly into fascist, neo-facist and xenophobic traditions, and intolerance," Robert Biedron, a top campaigner and newly-elected lawmaker from the left-wing opposition, told reporters. Biedron, who is Poland's first openly-gay member of parliament, urged the justice ministry to step in. In a little-noticed decision at the end of October, a court allowed the small National Rebirth of Poland (NOP) party to register two symbols. One was the Celtic cross, used by far-right movements internationally, while the other was a stylized illustration of gay sex with a bar through it. The NOP trumpeted the court ruling on its website earlier this week, saying it capped a two-year legal battle. Grzegorz Schetyna, a senior player in Poland's ruling centrist Civic Platform, accused the judge who made the ruling of failing in his duties. "Such symbols are unacceptable," he told the station Radio Zet. The NOP turns out regularly to oppose gay rights rallies in Poland. The homosexual community in Poland -- where more than 90 percent of the 38-million-strong population is Roman Catholic -- has in the past complained of living in a "climate of fear". Opinion surveys show that 80 percent of Poles oppose gay marriage and 93 percent believe gay and lesbian couples should not have the right to adopt children. Two out of three Poles oppose gay rights demonstrations. The NOP has been back in the spotlight after clashes with police during Poland's Independence Day celebrations on November 11.