Manipulation of LGBT activists. Co-author of the fake news on pro-family local governments avoids trial

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Polish local governments that have adopted pro-family resolutions are still being attacked by LGBT activists. The Ordo Iuris Institute, on behalf of the local authorities, filed a lawsuit against the authors of the 'Atlas of Hate', a publication that falsely accuses local governments of discriminating against people with homosexual tendencies. One of the activists, who created the 'Atlas of Hate' obstructs the proceedings by avoiding the receipt of a copy of the lawsuit. Another representative of the LGBT movement Bartosz Staszewski also joined the disinformation campaign, which repeated fake news about the alleged existence of 'LGBT-free zones' in Poland and included details the detention of Michał Sz., a.k.a. 'Margot'. The Institute has also taken legal action in connection with his activities.

In November 2019, a group of LGBT ideologues, in the European Parliament presented the so-called "Atlas of Hate" containing a map indicating almost 100 Polish local governments that adopted pro-family resolutions, including the m.in. Self-Governing Charter of Family Rights. The 'Atlas of Hate' denounces these local authorities that implement the pro-family documents, suggesting that they contain laws discriminating against people with homosexual tendencies and calling them 'LGBT-free zones'. Such defamatory information has appeared in many Polish and foreign media. Importantly, the Local Government Charter of Family Rights does not address the issue of sexual tendencies, nor does it violate the principle of equal treatment of any group. According to the lawyers of the Ordo Iuris Institute, this manner of presentation of local authorities that take action to support the family, parents and children constitutes a violation of their personal rights and undermines the trust necessary for the proper performance of the tasks of local government.

Another manipulation perpetrated by the authors of the publication was the juxtaposition of resolutions on the implementation of the Local Government Charter of Family Rights with the standpoints of other local governments expressing opposition to the demands of the LGBT ideology. In this way, the neutral Charter was deemed as part of the political struggle against the programme of Warsaw's 'LGBT Declaration'.

In March 2020, The Ordo Iuris Institute has announced that it will take legal action against the authors of the 'Atlas' on behalf of the local authorities. The Institute prepared lawsuits on behalf of the six defamed local government units that implemented the Charter. The first lawsuits have been already submitted to the competent Regional Courts. Ordo Iuris demands the publication of a statement apologising for the allegations. The Institute also demands that the statement is read before the European Parliament and at a conference at seat of the Polish Press Agency. Last but not least, the statement should be disseminated.

In the case brought by the poviat of Przysucha ('poviat' is a Polish administrative unit), which was placed in the 'Atlas', the Regional Court in Radom effectively served copies of the lawsuit on two defendants who responded to it within the legal deadline. In the case of the third defendant, Paulina P., the service of a copy of the lawsuit proved impossible, because so far she has evaded receipt of the document. The court obliged the representatives of the poviat of Przysucha to service on the third defendant a copy of the lawsuit through a bailiff, under pain of suspension of the proceedings in the event of ineffective service. As the bailiff informed in his recent correspondence on the subject, he failed to effectively deliver the document despite sending an email to the defendant's current email address. Since the other authors of the 'Atlas of Hate' received copies of the lawsuit, Paulina P., according to the Institute's lawyers, is aware that she is among the three defendants. The woman's conduct is clearly aimed at suspending the ongoing proceedings.

The publication of the 'Atlas' was most likely the inspiration for the actions taken by the LGBT activist Bartosz Staszewski. As early as in March 2020, just a few months after the presentation of the 'Atlas', he launched the initiative of placing deceitful signs informing about the alleged 'LGBT-free zones' at the entrances to the villages where pro-family resolutions were adopted. This false information has been repeated by numerous foreign media and politicians and has provoked reactions at international level. MEP Guy Verhofstadt was one of the people who spread it on Twitter. According to Tygodnik Solidarność (a Polish weekly magazine), Swedish LGBT organisations even asked the Polish embassy to remove the signs, unaware that Bartosz Staszewski was responsible for their appearance. Ordo Iuris' lawyers notified the Police about Staszewski's actions, as there is a possibility that he committed a misdemeanour of an unauthorised placement of road signs. (Article 85 § 1 of the Petty Offences Code).

Another manipulation by the activist is connected with the arrest of the LGBT activist Michał Sz. a.k.a. 'Margot'. Staszewski reported that 'Margot' was arrested for hanging the flag of the LGBT movement on the statue of Christ at Warsaw's Krakowskie Przedmieście (one of the most representative streets of Warsaw). He was also one of the people who vouched for Michał Sz. In reality, the activist was taken into custody on charges of causing bodily harm, damage to property and participation in an illegal gathering.