Poland’s last “LGBT-free zone” officially abolished

A council in southeastern Poland has officially repealed the nation’s last remaining “LGBT-free” resolution, six years after the controversial policy was initially implemented. On Thursday, officials in Łańcut voted to abolish the regulation put in place by the former Law and Justice (PiS) government, which had resulted in approximately 100 local councils declaring their regions “LGBT-free” or prohibiting “LGBT ideology,” according to ‘TVP World’.

These declarations attracted criticism from rights organisations and from Brussels, which withheld cohesion funding from numerous regions, citing their discriminatory nature and violation of the bloc’s core values.

This action led to the freezing of billions of euros in regional and cohesion funding.

Polish courts also judged the resolutions to be unconstitutional, stating that local authorities had overstepped their boundaries by adopting them.

In June 2022, the Supreme Administrative Court (NSA) determined that the resolutions resulted in “violation of the dignity, honor, good name and closely related private life of a specific group of residents.”

The NSA further stressed that it is the responsibility of the Polish state to safeguard all citizens, including individuals from minority groups.

Consequently, most local resolutions were abolished, making Łańcut the last area with such a designation in the country.

Jakub Gawron, an activist who managed the Atlas of Hate, an interactive online map highlighting regions with such resolutions, was quoted by Polish Radio, stating that “councilors have been taught a lesson not to succumb to propaganda that appeals to their emotions.”