Families “shaped by the centuries-old heritage of Christianity,” and which are “so important for the comprehensive development of our homeland.” “We encourage young people to start families which are by their essence a natural environment for self-realization,” the text reads. Last year, the surrounding Bielsko county - which includes Kozy and dozens of other towns and villages, but not Bielsko-Biala - passed a resolution supporting “traditional family values” and rejecting the LGBT community for “undermining the concept of a family model.” An official document reminds them of that.

She is gay, and gay people are not welcome in Kozy. It’s not me.ĭuzniak is a confident, amicable career coach with a partner of 10 years, but she has good reason to hide one important aspect of her personality. “I prefer big cities,” she says, reflecting on her daily journey to work in nearby Bielsko-Biala, an industrial urban sprawl near the border with the Czech Republic. But she doesn’t feel herself until she gets into her car each morning, shuts the door and drives away. Kozy, Poland (CNN) - Karolina Duzniak has lived in the drowsy, tree-dotted Polish village of Kozy for 26 years.