Polish Far-Right Politician Quits Confederation After Revealing Relationship With Intersex Model

Dawid Szóstak, a hard-right Polish politician and former leader of the far-right Confederation party in Katowice, has resigned from the party after revealing his relationship with Michalina Manios, an intersex model and reality TV star. The couple met on a dating site and bonded over shared Catholic faith and traditional values, despite Szóstak's former party being known for its anti-LGBTQ+, antisemitic, and nationalist positions. Manios, who was born with both male and female genitalia and raised as a boy until age 18, publicly discussed her intersex identity during her time on Poland's Next Top Model. She described feeling imprisoned by her assigned male identity before legally transitioning to female and studying sexology. Szóstak had previously been a vocal activist for the party, which opposes Jews, homosexuals, abortion, taxes, and the European Union. Their announcement highlights personal complexities behind political affiliations and has led Szóstak to step away from his homophobic party to focus on their relationship.