Rabka council has announced that it does not have an anti-gay policy.
Reading between the lines, the Rabka coucil is trying to steer a narrow path that avoids incurring the wrath of the nationalist bigots while also not pandering to them.
It’s not the same as issuing a public statement supporting gay rights. But it’s possibly as good as it gets, for now.
Our questioning of Rabka’s policy has done three things.
1. We have served notice on Rabka that we are watching them. Official bigotry will result in de-twinning.
Shining a light on anything leads to transparency and accountability. And I suspect that Rabka’s other twin towns will have asked them the same question.
2. We have demonstrated solidarity with progressive people in Rabka. They know they aren’t alone.
3. I have learnt from this episode that twinning could be a tool for positive change. More about that in a future post.