QUEERWARSAW
Sigismund Column
in an interview with Super Express daily the borough’s spokesperson admitted that nobody had time to consider the approval because “half of the employees are on holiday leave”. Despite the ban, at 4pm 3 persons with faces covered by scarves were standing under the column (amongst the crowd of reporters) with banners announcing their job titles. There was: a manager, a baker and a reporter. One of these men was Szymon Niemiec, an LGBT activist, later co-organiser of Pride parades, currently a senior pastor of the Free Reformed Church. Sent as a journalist to the event to report, he suddenly joined the other side. In his autobiography “Tęczowy Koliber na Tyłku” [Rainbow Hummingbird On A Bum] (published at 30) he recalls:
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108. The first public demonstration of homosexual persons at Zamkowy Square, 1993
109. Demonstration of homosexual persons under Sisigmund Column at Zamkowy Square in 1998
I don't know what pushed me to do this. If it was on an impulse of the moment, or maybe some internal need to stop living in the closet. I cannot answer this question today. Back then. however, I was determined. I gave my jacket to my surprised photo-reporter and went to the boys. “Give me some dark glasses, a hat and a bandana. I'm going there with you,” I said rather calmly. They were shocked. A hat was quickly found, together with a bandana and glasses. I quickly wrote “Jestem dziennikarzem” [I'm a journalist] on some piece of paper.
There was a squabble with skinheads gathered in the square. Krzysztof Garwatowski read an announcement addressed to the state authorities and volunteers collected signatures on the letter to president Aleksander Kwaśniewski about setting up a programme that would “promote open and tolerant social attitudes”. Garwatowski told Kurier Polski daily:
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The attitude of the Polish society towards gay people is so unwelcome that organising a parade would result in unpleasant incidents.
A lot has changed in the last ten years. The first official Gay Pride Parade on the 1st May 2001 started at the Sigismund Column too. According to the press’ estimates between 300 and 500 people took part
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