Lecture Event: "Not People, but an Ideology": The Struggle for LGBTQ+ Rights in Poland Sunday 2/27 w/ Dr. Michał Wilczewski

***We have a special event announcement!***

What kind of bar hosts a professor for an hour long discussion on the vital topics of the day? We do!

Please join us on Sunday 2/27 @ 7pm where the topic will be:

‘Not People, but an Ideology’: The Struggle for LGBTQ+ Rights in Poland” with Dr. Michał Wilczewski

In recent years, gender and sexuality have become hot topics in Poland. In 2013, for example, “gender” was Poland’s word of the year with the country’s leading bishops claiming that “Gender ‘ideology’ [is] worse than Nazism and Communism.” And even more recently, nearly 1/3 of Poland has declared itself an LGBT-Free Zone. What accounts for this uptick in hostility toward sexual minorities in Poland? Was Poland always so homophobic? How are LGBTQ+ groups fighting back?

Suggested arrival is 6:00pm to find a seat and grab drinks and food. The talk begins at 7pm and wraps around 7:45 with a question and answer component followed by a mix and mingle. $10 suggested donation going to Polish LGBTQ groups at the door !

Space is limited so please RSVP at info@bokehchicago.com

We are thrilled to host this event and with Warsaw as one of our sister cities and our deep history as Chicagoans with Poland we feel it’s important to highlight what is happening on the ground there and we thank Dr. Wilczewski for dedicating his time and efforts by joining us.

Michał Wilczewski received his PhD in Eastern European History from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is currently Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Northwestern University. He is currently at work on a research project on the history of sexuality and morality in interwar Poland.

We look forward to seeing you all! xoxo