About the situation in Poland

Almost 100 local governments, or one fourth of the regions in Poland, have adopted resolutions against so-called LGBT- ideology or have signed a ‘Family Charter’ to protect the traditional family and heterosexual relationships. The creation of LGBT- ideology-free zones is part of a broader attack on the LGBTIQ community in Poland that has led to an increase in hate speech, and to violence and attacks on two Pride parades. The protection of the ‘traditional family’ has become an important political issue, and was a central theme during the Polish parliamentary elections in 2019. In the run-up to the presidential election in 2020, Andrezj Duda, the presidential candidate for the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) made a clear statement by signing a so-called ‘Family Charter’. Minorities have always been scapegoats in conflict situations. The right to bodily integrity and sexual self-determination has become a symbol of more fundamental values and rights, including the importance of human rights and Poland’s relationship with the EU. For the populist right, homophobia is a way of expressing traditional national values and distrust of the West. The political goal has been to mobilise conservative voters, making it easier to negate the rights of women and LGBTQ-persons.