Unlike many Western nations, the Polish government is increasingly critical of topics like LGBT, transgenderism and gender theory studies being inserted into the education system, a position backed by Polish Minister of Education and Science Przemysław Czarnek.
He said this week that he sides with scientists who are of the opinion that so-called gender studies are not a science.
“Gender is a Marxist ideology, a false vision of humanity. I’m on the side of scholars who declare that it is not a science,” Czarnek declared in an interview for Polskie Radio 24.
“We should remember that every tragedy in the world has its basis in a false vision of humanity – an anthropological error. This is an anthropological error, which leads to tragedies. It’s not a science,” stated the minister.
In context of gender studies being taught at Polish universities, Czarnek emphasized that one of the most urgent tasks is to introduce freedom of speech and a marketplace of ideas at those universities.
The aim is to guarantee the right of scientists who oppose gender ideology to organize conferences and talks without fear of disciplinary repercussions from university authorities, he stated.
The minister believes that the biggest issue today involves scientists who challenge liberal orthodoxy, even with data and supporting arguments, as these scientists “are often discriminated against”.
In the West, even celebrities who challenge these viewpoints have faced extreme pressure, such as J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter children’s series. She came under fire this year for her opposition to transgender ideology being taught to children, which in her opinion has had a devastating effect on young girls.
“I’m concerned about the huge explosion in young women wishing to transition and also about the increasing numbers who seem to be detransitioning (returning to their original sex), because they regret taking steps that have, in some cases, altered their bodies irrevocably, and taken away their fertility,” she wrote.
She said those who speak out against the societal shift on transgenderism are doxxed, harassed and sometimes have their careers threatened.
“Most people probably aren’t aware – I certainly wasn’t, until I started researching this issue properly – that ten years ago, the majority of people wanting to transition to the opposite sex were male. That ratio has now reversed. The UK has experienced a 4400% increase in girls being referred for transitioning treatment. Autistic girls are hugely overrepresented in their numbers,” she wrote.
Poland’s government is increasingly ensuring safeguards are in place to allow for dissent regarding gender ideology topics and a diversity of viewpoints to flourish.
“We will seek to ensure that freedom of science reigns supreme in universities and that also conservative and Christian points of view — supported by centuries long argumentation and contained in tomes of research — are present as well,” he explained.
Czarnek revealed that the Ministry of Education is currently working on a legal document concerning new legal norms for the current issue. He added, that in his view, the ministry “already has several legal competencies through which it can react against extreme cases of academic discrimination”.
The minister underlined that freedom of science should apply to everyone, including conservatives and scientists with Christian viewpoints.
“In reality, we can observe clear discrimination in many areas. This is has nothing in common with academia in a free democratic state. We will put a stop to this immediately and that is already happening,” he said.
