High school student Dominik Kuc has listed the best gay-friendly high schools in Warsaw and 92 make the list.
ADVERTISEMENTDominik Kuc, a high school student and human rights activist, has ranked the best gay-friendly high schools in Warsaw, and 92 public schools make the list.
“My goal is to help gay teens in distress find a more accepting school environment, and put an end to homophobic bullying at school”, he tells Euronews.
The gay community in Poland has been plunged into shock and disbelief following the tragic deaths of two teenagers, who killed themselves after being taunted at school for their sexual identity.
Dominik Szymański, 14, from Bieżun in east-central Poland, committed suicide in 2015. The boy suffered verbal abuse because he wore skinny jeans and took care of his appearance. Then in 2017, 14-year-old Kacper from the town of Gorczyn hanged himself after years of relentless bullying.
In Poland, many LGTB people face day-to-day discrimination and harassment. According to a report prepared by LGTB organisation Kampania Przeciw Homofobii, 63 percent of gay teens have considered suicide.
“In socially conservative Poland, schools often trivialize homophobic bullying”, Kuc explains. “It is not easy to change Polish attitudes.”
Dominik hopes that his ranking will mobilise local schools to join the fight against homophobia, and spark a debate on discrimination against LGTBQ students in Polish high schools.