Anti-gay Polish President Lech Kaczynski dies in plane crash
World leaders have paid tribute to Polish president Lech Kaczynski following his death in a plane crash in Russia this morning.
Lech had previously been the Mayor of Warsaw and reached international notoriety when he banned the Warsaw gay movement parade in 2004 and 2005, saying it was “offensive to public morals” and would promote a “homosexual lifestyle”.
Kaczynski, and his twin brother Jarosław, were major figures in right wing, homophobic Polish politics. Jaroslaw was until recently the prime minister of Poland and once said “The affirmation of homosexuality will lead to the downfall of civilization. We can’t agree to it”.
The Polish government will hold an emergency meeting later today. Officials said the head of the Polish army, the governor of the central bank and the head of the presidential administration were also on board the plane, as well as the families of other senior officials.
Posted by Rob Coe on April 10th, 2010 at 1:27pm
