Diversity in FP10: Surprising lessons from Polish LGBTQ+ history

Along with much of the European research community, we're slowly warming up for what FP10 - the next European research framework programme - will look like. Our primary concern, not surprisingly, is what role diversity and internationalisation play.

A main consideration, of course, is what is politically feasible, and without naming names - well, we are - some European countries have more conservative views on diversity than we do.

So, we decided to look at history and invited historian Kamil Karczweski on the podcast. He has researched LGBTQ+ rights in Poland in the interwar period, and his research showed us that the story is more complicated than you might think. He explains that at the time, Poland was in some ways very progressive by decriminalising homosexuality, one of the first countries in Europe to do so.  We talk about homonationalism, what it means and what it might suggest for diversity and internationalisation as FP10 is developed. We also discuss some of the political differences within LGTBQ+ movements - and then we speculate what all of this means when shaping, negotiating and voting on the next European research framework programme.

Kamil's research beautifully links personal stories to tell a political story of the past and today. We had him tell us a few details of his work on the podcast. Links to the articles can be found below.
 
You can find Kamil here:
University profile
Twitter

The three articles mentioned in the episode can be found here:
“Call Me by My Name:” A “Strange and Incomprehensible” Passion in the Polish Kresy of the 1920s

Transnational Flows of Knowledge and the Legalisation of Homosexuality in Interwar Poland

“For a Pole, It all was a Great Abomination”: Grassroots Homonationalism and State Homophobia à la Polonaise—A History Lesson from a Place Between East and West

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If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.