“Pain and Glory” director Pedro Almodovar, “The Nun” actor Isabelle Huppert and “Call Me by Your Name” filmmaker Luca Guadagnino are among a galaxy of 70 film, television, literature and eminent personalities from other walks of life who have signed an open letter expressing “outrage” over the repression of the LGBT+ community in Poland.
Addressed to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, the letter states: “We, the undersigned, express our outrage at repressions directed against the LGBT+ community in Poland. We speak out in solidarity with activists and their allies, who are being detained, brutalized, and intimidated. We voice our grave concern about the future of democracy in Poland, a country with an admirable history of resistance to totalitarianism and struggle for freedom.”
Other signees include Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski, whose “Ida” won an Oscar, “The Favourite” director Yorgos Lanthimos, “Vera Drake” director Mike Leigh, and actors Ed Harris and James Norton.
After Polish president Andrzej Duda was reelected for a second term earlier this month, several opposition members showed up at the swearing in ceremony wearing Pride colors. During his election campaign, Duda had said that members of the LGBT+ community “are not people, it’s an ideology.” Some Polish towns have declared themselves “LGBT-free zones.”
The letter goes on to provide details of activists who were arrested and detained Aug. 7 for participating in a gathering, and requests the Polish government to control growing homophobic aggression in the country.
“We call on the Polish government to stop targeting sexual minorities, to stop supporting organizations that spread homophobia, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for unlawful and violent arrests of Aug. 7, 2020,” the letter continues.
“We call on the European Commission to take immediate steps to defend core European values – equality, non-discrimination, respect for minorities – which are being blatantly violated in Poland. LGBT+ rights are human rights and must be defended as such,” the letter concludes.
The letter was started by Polish Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk, alongside filmmaker Agnieszka Holland and sociologist Agnieszka Graff.
Article by: Naman Ramachandran for Variety.
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