After years of legal discrimination, Poland's same-sex couples await civil union law

People take a selfie with rainbow Pride flags before the start of the Equality Parade in Warsaw, Poland, in June 2023. The Equality Parade was celebrated under the slogan "We predict equality and beauty!" (Volha Shukaila/SOPA Images/Sipa USA)

WARSAW, Poland — In an apartment on the outskirts of Warsaw, 5-year-old Olek fills his home with the twangs of a ukulele while his 2-year-old sister, Jagienka, sings along in a strong, off-key yowl.

Their mothers, Ola and Karolina, smile at the cacophony: the sounds of a happy family. But here in Poland, this family is not protected under law.