US Department of State envoy: The LGBT+ community does not ask for special treatment

Department of State Special Envoy for Human Rights LGBT+ Jessica Stern is visiting Poland. She talked about her role in an interview with TVN24 and TVN24 BIS journalist Michał Sznajder.

– I am the president's representative Joe Biden in the field of foreign policy with regard to LGBT+ people. The president gave me a very specific mandate. He recommended talks with other countries, including close allies such as Poland, on why protecting the rights of LGBT+ people should be not only an American issue, but the issue of the entire world, she explained.

As she noted, “protecting minority rights is good for national prosperity, for economic cooperation around the world, for public health and for regional, national and global security.” – I am working with various countries, as well as with the Polish government, to find some ways of cooperation, ensuring safety and dignity for all – she emphasized.

– I talk to a number of people when it comes to the situation of the LGBT+ community in Poland. And it seems to me that Poland and United States they have common values ​​in this area. One of them is the equality commitment. What is important in both of our countries is that we are moving from a period in which the rights of LGBT people were suppressed, and we are gradually moving into the future towards greater protection and greater security, she noted.

Stern emphasized that “the situation in Poland has changed dramatically.” – Recent public opinion polls show that 50-60 percent of people support marriage equality or civil partnerships, which shows growing respect. The message I hear from people in the LGBT+ community in Poland is that it is not enough. Changing social attitudes is key, but there is a need to recognize rights. This means protection against hate crimes and recognition of civil partnerships, she said.

Speaking about the global situation of LGBT+ people, the State Department envoy said that she had met “countless numbers of people who have lost people they love, to discrimination, to violence.” – Many people had to flee their countries because they did not feel safe there. Many people have lost their jobs because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. These are truly heartbreaking experiences, she said.

Stern talked about meeting a woman who has a homosexual son. – She said: I cannot live well as a proud Polish, heterosexual mother if my child is not safe – she said.

Referring to statements that LGBT+ is an ideology or propaganda, Stern said that “when people from the LGBT+ community spread the word about equality, whether they are portrayed in films, television or press articles, it is not propaganda.” – It is access to information, it is freedom of expression, which is one of the most fundamental, most sacred values, a humanitarian right constitutionally guaranteed in almost all countries of the world – she emphasized.

– I want to clarify a false assumption. The LGBT+ community is not asking for any special treatment or new rights. He asks that the laws of a given country, which apply to all citizens, be applied equally to them. This is not propaganda, it is asking that traditional values, the values ​​of respect and equality for all, be applied in the courts and in public opinion, she emphasized.

– The LGBT community has always been an element of our lives. Anyone who thinks that characters in movies or TV are new probably don't realize that the LGBT community has always been present in them. The portrayal of people in the community on television and in movies only reflects the world we live in today. “I think that when we have access to accurate information, we will be better citizens, better neighbors and we will have better understanding,” Stern said.

Michał Sznajder's interlocutor also referred to how the perception of the LGBT+ community in the USA has changed. – When I was a child, homophobic and transphobic insults were very common, also in sandboxes. Jokes were often told on TV. We never admitted that we knew someone who was gay, lesbian or trans, because they usually lived in secret and didn't want to show it off. But over the course of my life it went away, she said.

– I don't know what events will accompany us in November, I don't know what the results of the presidential elections will be, but I have a lot of faith in the future of the United States. Not only because our institutions have protected the rights of people from the LGBT+ community, but Americans are increasingly demanding equality for all, she noted.

At the end of the conversation, Stern was asked what advice she might have for those who want to be allies of LGBT+ people. – First of all, everyone is welcome. Secondly, you don't need to know the terminology perfectly. If our intentions are pure, we want to be respectful, we can always ask questions, she said.