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First openly gay mayor elected in Poland

Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz, right, congratulates Mayor of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz as first exit polls are announced after the end of local elections runoff, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014. The elections are considered a test of strength for new Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz and the ruling Civic Platform party ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections next year. Problems with the computerized vote count of the first round spurred opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski to question the validity of the results. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz, right, congratulates Mayor of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz as first exit polls are announced after the end of local elections runoff, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014. The elections are considered a test of strength for new Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz and the ruling Civic Platform party ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections next year. Problems with the computerized vote count of the first round spurred opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski to question the validity of the results. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

By Associated Press December 1, 2014 1 min read

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Voters in Poland have elected the country’s first openly gay mayor, a sign of growing tolerance for gays and lesbians in a country that has long been defined by a deep Roman Catholic conservatism.

Robert Biedron, who already made history in 2011 by becoming the first openly gay lawmaker in parliament, was elected mayor of the small city of Slupsk in northern Poland.

Results were released Monday of the runoff race, which took place on Sunday.

The elections for regional parliaments and municipal government saw a record number of openly gay candidates, though none of the others won seats. Most of them are young and making their first runs for office, and they mostly represented left-wing parties that did poorly. The elections took place in two rounds over two weeks.