Picture features the "LGBT-free zones in Poland today.
On February 25th, a third of Poland has declared itself to be an official “LGBT-free” zone as local municipalities signed a pledge adopting resolutions against “LGBT propaganda”. The nearly 100 Polish municipal or local governments have pledged to “refrain from acts that encourage tolerance and must avoid providing financial assistance to NGOs working to promote equal rights.”
Shortly after this vote activists revealed the extent of the anti-LGBT zones in Poland through an “Atlas of Hate” where you can see the extent of this pledge’s effects. The declared anti-LGBT zones are greater than the size of Hungary and continues to grow.
The pledges fall on the heels of PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s and his recent victory in his campaign centered around strongly nationalistic, aggressive approaches to foreign policy, including hostile policies towards the EU, which has expressed concern about growing anti-LGBT policies. The EU released a resolution, describing Poland’s measures as “a broader context of attacks against the LGBTI community in Poland, which include growing hate speech by public and elected officials and public media, as well as attacks and bans on Pride marches and actions such as Rainbow Friday”, according to PinkNews.
It seems while we’ve made great strides in some areas of the world for LGBTQ+ individuals, we must remember to fight for our LGBT community abroad where their rights are being actively and dangerously stripped away. It reminds us of the importance of Pride, and that the fight for equality is still not over.