Abstract

The aim of my paper is to show how the concept of moral panic—described as a disproportional social reaction to a phenomenon perceived as a threat to societal order and values—is used in the Polish context. On the example of the debate on civil partnerships, threatening society with “genderism,” and opposing the ratification of the convention on preventing violence against women I show how some conservative milieus in Poland react to transforming gender and sexual norms. While the Polish society has been experiencing rapid modernization in terms of economy and social norms, attitudes to non-normative sexualities remain rather negative. Heterosexuality, monogamy, and reproduction are perceived not only as the good options, but also as the normal and natural ones. The naturalization of certain sexual acts is directly connected with national ideology.