A gay couple from Poland had been denied the right to marry in their native land, so turned to Portugal and its more inclusive and liberal 'same sex' legislation.
Jakub Kwiecinski and David Mycek were famous for their online videos that increased the visibility of gays and lesbians in whatb they call "anti-gay Poland" but had suffered threats and hateful comments as a result.
One video, to the tune of Roxette’s ‘Some other Summer,’ triggered threats such as, ‘You should be sent to gas chamber,’ ‘I will cut your throat when I meet you,’ and ‘Your neighbours are coming after you.’
A video that the couple produced to a popular Polish song landed them on the cover of local newspapers and calls for boycotts of the musician Beata Kozidrak for having shared her song.
Jakub and David believe the hate and abuse they had suffered helped persuade Portuguese officials to grant them an exemption to the usual document requirements when they applied to become married.
Typically, foreigners looking to marry in Portugal must provide documentation stating there is no obstacle to their marriage in their home country, “All foreigners getting married in Portugal require this document - except UK nationals,” Jakub told LGBTQ Nation. “When you apply in Poland for it you need to put the name of your partner. They reject all the homosexual applications.”
But after a year of effort, which including showing Portuguese officials international press coverage from LGBTQ Nation and other publications, their request was granted to wed on Portuguese soil.
Jakub said he isn’t sure what persuaded the officials, but believes that most people in Portugal are accepting.
“In my opinion, Portuguese are very friendly and open-minded,” he said, “so it had to be shocking for them how people in Poland can treat others just for their love.”
The couple plans to marry in Madeira this June, “If we can’t get married in our country, we wanted to choose a place that is close to our hearts,” David explained. “There are countries where it is easier to get marriage permission, but we chose Madeira because we fell in love with this Island few years ago, and since then we visit it every year.”
