‘Dirty political fight’: Polish president slams Western media after his comparison of LGBT ‘ideology’ to communism makes headlines

Polish President Andrzej Duda accused the Western media of “taking his words out of context” after numerous news articles claimed he equated LGBT “ideology” with communism in a speech. He insisted that he supports equality.

Duda’s campaign speech on Saturday, in which he stated that LGBT is an ideology even more sinister than “Bolshevism,” was picked up by numerous outlets worldwide.

The president is seeking re-election and conservative voters largely constitute his base. He is expected to face liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, who is known for his pro-LGBT position, as his main rival. Extensive foreign media coverage seems to have put Duda on the defensive.

“Yet again, as part of dirty political fight, my words are put out of context. I truly believe in diversity and equality,” Duda tweeted, singling out Reuters, the New York Times, AP, the Guardian, and the Financial Times as targets for his criticism.

“Beliefs of any minority cannot be imposed on a majority under the false pretense of tolerance,” he said, adding that the relentless onslaught of liberal values has turned “Truth” into a “scared little creature that hides from much stronger Correctness."

At the same time, he said he believes in a “world, where truths, such as MeToo, can have a safe platform,” while urging the Western media to stop “distributing fake news.”

It is unclear what exactly sparked the Polish leader’s reaction, since the Western media, while not particularly appreciative of his comments, still mostly refrained from openly criticizing his views, some which would perhaps constitute political suicide for politicians in many Western countries, though they are still popular in largely conservative Poland.

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