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UK Ambassador slammed for supporting gay rights
By: Nigel Robinson
Ric Todd
Ric Todd
Our man in Poland has been accused of representing the homosexual lobby
Ric Todd, the UK ambassador in Warsaw, recently gave Polish gay activists a guide to LGBT rights, translated into Polish.
This was in advance of the city’s gay Pride march which takes place in Warsaw this Saturday.
However, Poland’s civil rights ombudsman, Janusz Kochanowski, said the ambassador was being improper and did not understand the role of a diplomat.
“He represents the UK,” Mr Kichanowski said. “He is not meant to intervene here in the way that he chooses.”
He also said that Polish gays do not live in fear of discrimination as Mr Todd seemed to imply.
lawomir Skiba, editor of the Catholic newspaper, Christian Polonia, said that Mr Todd should confine himself to representing the interests of Great Britain and not the “homosexual lobby”.
He also accused the ambassador of an extreme lack of diplomacy and absolute ignorance of the values by which the majority of Polish society lives.
Last year Mr Todd was criticised for raising the rainbow flag alongside the Union Jack at the Embassy.
'I am not interfering in Polish politics or society nor am I criticising it. “Mr Todd said. “Foreign Office policy is clearly spelt out and I am acting in accordance with policy.
'We have achieved a lot of good things around the world on the subject of LGBT rights.
'None of this is any suggestion by me or the Foreign Office that the Polish policy on LGBT rights is wrong.”
Poland is a deeply traditional and Catholic country and previous Pride demonstrations have been broken up by the police. A poll in 2007 revealed that 59 per cent of Poles believe in discrimination against homosexuals.
