A third of Poland is now an LGBT-free zone. March 2019 saw cities and local governments across Poland begin to sign “free from LGBT ideology” declarations. Over one hundred districts have signed, predominantly in the South East. These districts are called “LGBT-free zones” by activists.
National statistics show the highest migrant group in Scotland is Polish. Whilst the two countries share a long history, the difference between the two countries journey of LGBT rights is notable.
Poland was once more accepting of the LGBT community, being one of the first countries in Europe to decriminalise homosexuality in 1932, Scotland not until 1980.
Today, Poland is one of the few countries in the EU, which does not recognise any form of same-sex union. The latest ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map, which reviews LGBT human rights, scored Poland as the lowest in the EU with 13 per cent, the UK scored 64 per cent.
The declarations were a reaction to Rafał Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw, who was trying to introduce LGBT education in schools.
The first district to sign a declaration was Świdnik County, Lublin. The statement said: “Świdnik, accepts the declaration ‘free from LGBT ideology’. Radicals striving for a cultural revolution in Poland attack freedom of speech, the innocence of children, the authority of the family and school and freedom of business.
“We do not agree to the illegal installation of political correctness in schools. We will guard the right to raise children consistent with the beliefs of the parents.”
Activists dispute the use of the term “Ideology”. Scott Cuthbertson is the development manager of the Equality Network, a Scottish LGBT equality and human rights organisation.
He said: “I don’t have an ideology as a gay man. I am a gay man and it’s my identity.
“By declaring an LGBT free zone, you are not saying there are no LGBT people here. You are forcing LGBT people to hide. You are forcing them to pretend to be people who they are not. You are causing trauma. You are causing pain.”
Scotland and the UK, although not perfect rank high for LGBT rights. Cuthbertson said: “We are one of the best-rated countries in the world. Although we are falling. Other countries advance mainly with rights for Trans and non-binary people, we are lagging on that.
“I did an exchange scheme about ten years ago. We brought some Polish LGBT activists over to pride in London and we attended Pride in Warsaw. I have to say they were two very different experiences. One being quite scary. It demonstrated to me how much we’ve got to do as a community. We are not free until we are all free.”
The North-Eastern city of Białystok signed a declaration soon after Świdnik. Dominika Ślizewska, a nursing student, grew up in Białystok and moved to Scotland four years ago.
She said: “Polish sexual education in schools is awful. I remember in sexual education being taught that gay men are gay because of their relationship with their parents. That they were too close to their mum or they didn’t have a dad.
“Basically, I was taught back in Poland that LGBT people are troubled. I was literally taught that in school. If I were to grow up in Scotland. I would not believe a word that I am saying about Poland.”
Xenophobia is a part of everyday life in parts of Poland. Śliewska said: “I had a happy life in Poland apart from a very young age, I experienced, even second-hand, racism, sexism and homophobia.
“All of that, you name it, it was there. I was growing up with those things being normalised. As soon as I got onto the internet. I realised this was not ok.”
Białystok held its first Pride march in July 2019, but the march ended up with homophobic protest resulting in police involvement.
Śliewska said: “It was an absolute shame. It was just people wanting to do a pride parade and it ended up with homophobic people throwing stones as if it was two hundred BC. It was just ridiculous. Newspapers all over the world were writing about it. It’s such a shame to have a thing like this associated with your hometown.
“Friends from my hometown who are gay, they feel a difference here in Scotland. Being able to just go outside and not worry for their lives. Because that is literally the case.”
Ordo Iuris is a Polish legal organisation that have connections to the Polish Government and religious organisations. They claim that there are no LGBT-free zones. A statement on their website said: “Local governments, passed declarations in which they object to ‘propagating the ideology of LGBT movements, which undermine the fundamental rights enshrined in the Polish Constitution and interfere with the autonomy of religious communities.
“It is not true that these declarations establish so-called “LGBT-free zones.”
The EU acknowledged the situation across Poland in a statement: “In response to the backsliding of LGBT rights in some EU countries, notably Poland and Hungary, MEPs declared the EU an ‘LGBT-Freedom Zone’. The EU has also stopped funding to towns in districts that have signed declarations.”
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, in a state of the union speech said: “I want to be crystal clear LGBT-free zones are humanity free zones. And they have no place in our union.”
In March, the Polish Government closed a loophole that allowed same-sex couples to adopt. Now single applicants will be vetted, applicants who live in the same household as someone of the same sex will now not be allowed to adopt.
There is another type of legislation being passed by several local authorities which is causing concern for the LGBT community: The Family Charter, lobbied by the Ordo Iuris Institute.
The charter does not explicitly mention the LGBT community but it is implied. It says: “The Charter of Family Rights, is adopted as the protection of values in the Constitution of Poland, including the protection of marriage, being a union of a man and a woman, as well as the family, motherhood and parenthood, the right to protect family life, the parent’s right to rear their children by their convictions, and the child’s right to be protected against demoralisation.”
The charter also states funding will not be granted to organisations “that undermine the constitutional identity of marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman or the autonomy of the family.”
“Justification” for the charter is “ensuring its protection against influences of the ideologies that undermine its autonomy and identity.
Śliewska said: “In the LGBT free zones, People are saying that the lifestyle of the LGBT community is endangering the integrity of the family. The idea of the family is being attacked by people just trying to live their lives.”
The future for Poland’s LGBT community currently looks bleak as more and more laws come into place. With homophobic attacks and sentiment rising in neighbouring countries, things seem unlikely to change anytime soon but activists remain hopeful that Intervention from the EU will put an end to the zones.
Lucette Wood 