Poland Criminalizes Gay Adoption

Poland is ruled by the right-wing nationalists of the Law and Justice Party who have moved to end ann abortion in the country. Abolishing gay rights is also on Polish government’s agenda, with local authorities in Poland labeling themselves as being “LGBT ideology-free zones”.

Now Poland plans to close a loophole that allowed same-sex couples to adopt, prompting the European Parliament’s new declaration in support of LGBTIQ rights.

Poland does not recognize same-sex relationships legally. The country already does not permit same-sex couples to adopt children. However, single people can adopt children and Poland’s right-wing insists that this “loophole” must be closed.

Under the new law, authorities will be required to perform background checks on anyone applying to adopt a child as a single parent, explains the BBC. Criminal penalties apply to anyone seeking to adopt a child who is involved in a same-sex relationship.

EU Parliament ‘LGBTIQ Freedom Zone” Resolution Passes With Huge Margin

The new resolution issued by the European Parliament declares that "LGBTIQ persons everywhere in the EU should enjoy the freedom to live and publicly show their sexual orientation and gender identity without fear of intolerance, discrimination or persecution".

It adds that "authorities at all levels of governance across the EU should protect and promote equality and the fundamental rights of all, including LGBTIQ persons''.

The vote for the resolution was 492 ‘yes’, 141 ‘no ‘with 46 abstaining.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had declared her support for the new resolution before debate began on Thursday.

"Being yourself is not an ideology. It's your identity," she tweeted on Wednesday. "No one can ever take it away. The EU is your home. The EU is a #LGBTIQFreedomZone."

Last year, von der Leyen said that Poland's "LGBT-free zones" had "no place in our union", and vowed to push all EU member states to recognise adoptions by same-sex couples.

Hoary squash bees co-evolved with their host plants.jpg

A Common Soil Pesticide Cut Wild Bee Reproduction by 89% and Scientists Are Worried AOC Sustainability

Most of the world’s 20,000 bee species don’t live in hives. These wild species lead comparatively solitary lives , with large majorities building their nests underground where they raise their offspring on the nectar they gather from flowers.

Considering the general state of alarm about the health of bees generally and colony collapse disorder specifically, how can it be that the vast majority of research on the impact of the neonicotinoids family of pesticides has been done only on honeybees and now bumblebees?

Because honeybees don’t spend much time on the ground, environmental risk assessments for neonicotinoids often neglect to consider how exposure to these chemicals in the soil affects all pollinators. But in a landmark study published in Nature, researchers have shown how neonicotinoids affect bees not just by accumulating in the plants pollinators visit, but in the ground where most wild bees build their nests.

The researchers studied nest building, foraging and reproduction in these bees and found imidacloprid in particular – one of the most widely used neonicotinoids worldwide – had a devastating effect on all aspects of squash bee life. Compared to insects living on untreated cropland, the hoary squash bees exposed to imidacloprid in the soil created 85% fewer nests, left 5.3 times more pollen unharvested and produced a staggering 89% fewer offspring.