20 Oct Male sex work in Polland
Homosexuality is neither especially protected nor prosecuted in Poland. Sexologists describe it as one of the sexual orientations; some authors use the term of "atypical sexual behaviour, characterised by a sexual attraction to persons of the same sex, either women or men".
According to the Polish law, people older than 17 years may conduct an active sexual life. The same rule applies for prostitution.
In Poland exists no specific gay movement. The gay life is generally concentrated on gay clubs and discos, which exist in bigger cities only. Due to catholism and the traditional role models, homosexuality is still a big taboo issue within Poland.
Gay clubs and discos do exist in larger Polish cities, such as Warsaw, Poznan, Wrocaw, Cracow, Szczecin, Gdansk, Katowice and Bydgoszcz (mainly at weekends). Some of those clubs accept men only; others are visited by everybody, including heterosexuals who do not mind about homosexuality or who have homosexual friends and want to spend some time together.
MALE PROSTITUTION
Men sell sex to men in parks (Szczecin,Warsaw), streets ( Warsaw ), saunas (Warsaw, Poznan), public toilets, brothels (Gdansk, Sopot, Gdynia,Warsaw) which offer commercial male sex to women and men, railway stations where the supply increases before arrival of international trains. Other places for selling sex are gay restaurants, discos (dark rooms) and erotic cinemas. Customers, who prefer a more anonymous and private setting react on adds in several newsapapers and magazines.
The following organisations support male prostitutes:
- MONAR – engaged in treatment of drug addicts;
- LAMBDA – described above;
- TADA – carrying out STD prevention activities by doing outreachwork;
- POWRÓT Z U – organising psychotherapy of addicts and support for their families;
- United Nations Development Programme and National AIDS Center- providing financial aid, organising conferences and workshops, publishing books, brochures, posters and other instruction materials concerning STD.
All above-mentioned organisations are non-governmental and nation wide.
Outreachwork is done in the following places: gay clubs and discos, streets, parks, saunas and railway stations.
Men who sell sex to women usually work within Escort agencies or by advertising in newspapers and magazines. A lot of agencies employing men are situated on the Gdansk Coast. Their customers are mainly seamen's wives. In Szczecin doesn't exist such an agency, though it is a port city.
HEALTH
HIV and STD tests are offered by all organisations that work with seropositive people, i.e. MONAR, TADA, POWRÓT and others. Those NGOs can't offer HIV testing by themselves, but refer to anonymous HIV Testing Centres or to venereological outpatient clinics. Everybody can access the Anonymous Testing Centres, regardless of their nationality and their legal status. Pre- and post- counselling is included. If a
person wants to be tested in a venereological outpatient clinic he or she has to be insured; otherwise fees have to be paid.
Free Health Services are provided for insured people only, i.e. employees, pensioners and registered unemployed people. Illegal migrants and uninsured people cannot access free Health Services. They have to pay for any medical service except the services offered in the special HIV- and STD- Testing Centres. Till 1998 TADA employed a venereolgist for offering services free of charge to male and female sex workers. Due to financial problems TADA had to finish their agreement with the venereological outpatient clinic.