Among the dead in the plane crash in Russia – the one in which a big chunk of the Polish government was killed on April 10 – is an outspoken Polish feminist and advocate for gay people.
Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka served as Poland’s deputy prime minister and minister for social policy until her party was defeated in a 2005 election. It was in that same election that Lech Kaczynski was elected president of the country.
Kaczynski, who also died in the plane crash, banned gay Pride celebrations in Warsaw while he was mayor of that city in 2004 and 2005. He was famous for saying things like, “The human race would disappear if homosexuality was freely promoted.”
Jaruga-Nowacka regularly spoke in support of civil liberties at Polish gay events, even the Pride celebrations banned by Kaczynski.
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