Polish bill would ban gay talk in school

NEW YORK, March 19 (UPI) -- A U.S. human rights group on Monday said a proposed Polish ban on discussing homosexuality in schools amounts to discrimination.

"Polish authorities claim to be protecting families but in fact they are trying to deny children free speech and lifesaving information on HIV/AIDS," said Scott Long, director of Human Rights Watch's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Program. "Schools should be training grounds for tolerance, not bastions of repression and discrimination."

Human Rights Watch said that the Poland's deputy minister of education, Miroslaw Orzechowski, said that the government is developing legislation to "punish anyone who promotes homosexuality" in schools, including teachers, principals and students.

Teachers who disclose their homosexuality would be fired and educators who teach safer sex for gays and lesbians would be banned from school, the human rights group said.

Human Rights Watch called on Polish Prime Jaroslaw Minister stop the legislation.