National Rebirth of Poland, Far-Right Party, Allowed To Register Gay Sex Symbol After Court Battle

Poland made history earlier this month when an openly gay man and a transgender woman took seats in the nation's parliament, but a more conservative segment of the population is now generating its own set of headlines.

As the AFP is reporting, a court rulling allowed the small National Rebirth of Poland (NOP) party to register two symbols -- the Celtic cross (used by far-right movements internationally) and a stylized illustration of two men having sex with a bar through it -- after a two-year legal battle.

The NOP turns out regularly to oppose gay rights rallies in Poland, and the party was thrust back into the spotlight after clashes with police during Poland's Independence Day celebrations Nov. 11. As The Advocate notes, 80 percent of Poles oppose gay marriage and two-thirds oppose LGBT rights demonstrations.

Not surprisingly, the decision was quickly slammed by the Polish Parliament's new gay member, Robert Biedron. "Such symbols tap directly into fascist, neo-facist and xenophobic traditions, and intolerance," Biedron said, according to the AFP.