Though opinion pollsters record an increase in tolerance towards same-sex relationships over the last few years, still half of Poles think that gays and lesbians should not be open about their sexuality.

Almost one-in-three Poles think that gay and lesbians have the right to express their lifestyle openly openly: an increased of 10 percent since 2005 and by 5 percent since 2008, shows a poll by CBOS.

Every fourth Pole says they know at least one gay person.

But most Poles (64 percent) question a homosexuals’ right to be gay ‘in public’  - a decrease, however, of 14 percent since 2005.

Events such as EuroPride, which will be organized in Poland for the first time in July, arouse mixed emotions. Among the opponents of gay parades are both people who do not accept homosexuality and those who accept it but are against outright manifestations of sexual orientation in an “obscene way”, shows the poll.

Poles are also divided when it comes to segregation at work with regard to sexual orientation, shows the poll. As many as 44 percent think that gays should not be able to take up certain professions, such as a teacher, coach, youth educator (77 percent), nurse, doctor (24 percent), priest (18 percent), and soldier, policeman (8 percent).

At the same time 76 percent of Poles accept working with gay people in the same company, Seventy percent accept gay people as their co-workers and 67 percent as their supervisors. Also, 45 percent of the Polish society think that gays should have the right to same-sex ‘civil partnerships, to allow mutual taxation and inheritance. As many as 47 percent of Poles do not accept this but their number is decreasing.

Among those who oppose homosexuality are a majority of the elderly people, inhabitants of villages, people of limited formal and regular church attendees.

The poll was conducted on 8-19 April among a sample 1056 people. (pg/mg)

Source: Dziennik Gazeta Prawna