Pride Month is an annual celebration commemorating the history and ongoing efforts of those advocating for non-heteronormative minorities. It is a time when the LGBT+ community and its allies celebrate diversity, promote self-acceptance, and uphold a sense of dignity while also highlighting issues faced by the rainbow community worldwide.

In June 2024, the staff of the Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz Library in Oborniki Śląskie demonstrated their solidarity with the LGBT+ minority by organising an exhibition. The decision to create it was made with the unanimous consent of all employees at the institution. It comprises five panels featuring leaflets and posters proclaiming that families are diverse, yet each is unique and special.

"Love is a feeling that unites people no matter who they are. It is important to love and be loved. It doesn't matter who we love; what matters is that we are happy and respect others," reads the exhibition’s description.

The Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Oborniki Śląskie did not welcome the exhibition's content at the Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz Library. The clergy boycotted it, asserting that a family consists only of a woman, a man, and children. On Friday, 5 July, a post on the parish's website stated, "Let's hope there were no library lessons there in June without the knowledge and consent of the parents. Do parents agree that this is how you help raise your children?" Commenters pointed out that equality and love are fundamental to religion, prompting the clergy to restrict the comment section.

The comments did not sit well with representatives of the Sacred Heart Parish. On Thursday, 11 July, another post appeared on its Facebook profile, addressing a demand to Arkadiusz Poprawa, the mayor of Oborniki Śląskie.

"We, the undersigned, demand the immediate removal of the 'Library of Equality' exhibition from the Public Library in Oborniki Śląskie. This exhibition promotes LGBT+ ideology among children. Its content undermines the concept of family and gender derived from natural science and law. It interferes with the morality guiding human sexual life and violates the rights of parents to raise their children according to their own moral convictions. It exposes children to serious distress and demoralisation," reads the demand.

"By placing the exhibition in the public library, the principle of non-interference by public bodies with the morals of society and the rule of law has been violated. We demand the restoration of the rule of law by removing this exhibition. We expect a written reply explaining how this happened and detailing how the matter will be resolved. We call on you to refrain from similar arbitrariness and encroachment on civil liberties in the future," the local clergy wrote.

The library staff had anticipated an attack from the Church but emphasised that they feel supported by the residents of Oborniki Śląskie. Anna Muszak, who conceived the idea for the exhibition, told Gazeta Wyborcza that many young people visit the facility and praise the initiative. She wanted non-heteronormative people to feel they were not alone.

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza