The Volokh Conspiracy

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Free Speech

Blasphemy Conviction for Displaying Rainbow Virgin Mary at "Equality March" in Poland

|The Volokh Conspiracy |


From press accounts, this appears to be the image involved.

 

Notes from Poland (Daniel Tilles) reports:

A court has found two women guilty of offending religious feelings – a crime in Poland that carries a prison sentence of up to two years – for displaying an image of the Virgin Mary and Jesus with rainbow haloes during an LGBT march.

One was handed five months of community service while the other was fined 2,000 zloty. The pair's lawyer has, however, announced their intention to contest the judgement, as they are entitled to do, meaning the case would proceed to a full trial….

Last year, the same court in Częstochowa acquitted a man who had also been indicted for offending religious feelings by displaying an image of the Black Madonna with rainbow colours added.

The judge found that the symbol contained a positive – not an offensive – message supporting equality and opposing discrimination. In another case, three LGBT activists were acquitted of the same offence in 2021 for producing and distributing images of the "Rainbow Virgin Mary"….