The Kaczynski Brothers

So it’s not just American conservative homophobic politicians who are self-hating gays. Here’s one in Poland who was ousted by liberals this week:

“It is advisable to establish if Jaroslaw Kaczynski remains in a long-term homosexual relationship and, if so, who his partner is.”
– Head of Polish Secret Service in 1992

Poland’s pro-European Union Civic Platform party beat Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s nationalist conservatives in national elections, according to results Monday.

[Early results] showed [liberal] Civic Platform beating Mr. Kaczynski’s Law and Justice Party by nearly 10 percentage points, putting the party in a position to form a government with its preferred partner, the moderate Polish Peasants Party.

Kaczynski was outed by a Polish newspaper last year:

Poland’s second-most important newspaper, Rzeczpolita, published documents-some only recently declassified, and some that were leaked-from the files of the Polish Secret Service that discussed Prime Minister Kaczynski’s homosexuality. As part of an investigation, begun in 1992, of right-wing political parties that, the documents said, “could threaten democracy,” a Secret Service department then headed by Colonel Jan Lesiak reported, “It is advisable to establish if Jaroslaw Kaczynski remains in a long-term homosexual relationship and, if so, who his partner is.”

Kaczynski’s twin brother, Lech, is the president of Poland. The brothers have a record of anti-gay rhetoric and actions:

Within minutes of becoming Prime Minister in July [2006], Jaroslaw Kaczynski attacked gay marriage saying, “We won’t let ourselves say that black is white, we are going to protect this (marriage) foundation of social life.”

… When serving as mayor of Warsaw, Lech Kaczyznski [the prime minister's twin brother] attempted to ban Gay Pride marches in 2004 and 2005.

He refused to meet with the parade organizers, saying, “I am not willing to meet perverts.”

The rampant homophobia within the government created a climate of fear and repression in Poland:

Poland’s Catholic, conservative right-wing government has members who are openly anti-gay and the health ministry has created a special committee responsible for “curing” gays, according to local media.

Deputy health minister Marek Grafowski said the ministry was also planning to identify how many people in Poland were gay and work out a set of behavioural guides to assist parents and teachers in recognising warning signs of potential “gay” behaviour.

The police have also been compiling a database on gays and the gay community in Poland which although illegal under EU law…

The prime minister’s identical twin brother, Lech Kaczynski, who is married (to a woman) remains president of Poland. His term expires in 2010.