Polish town opposes Pooh Bear for unclear gender

WARSAW — Officials in a Polish town have opposed a proposition to name a playground after popular cartoon character Winnie the Pooh due to the bear’s unclear gender and immodest clothing.

The matter was debated in a closed-door meeting weeks ago in the central Polish town of Tuszyn, but didn’t get much media attention in Poland until recent days.

Voice recordings of the meeting were leaked to the media in which officials complained that Pooh Bear is immodestly dressed and also lacks a clear gender. One called the bear a “hermaphrodite”.

Some said a fully clothed Polish cartoon bear named Uszatek would be a better choice.

One of the Pooh Bear opponents, Mr Ryszard Cichy, told a newspaper that he had been joking at the end of a discussion on a playground that had gone on too long. AP