ABOVE: Offices & chambers of the Sejmik Województwa Świętokrzyskiego (Photo: Government of the voivodeship of Świętokrzyskie, Poland)
POLAND | In a reversal of policy the Sejmik Województwa Świętokrzyskiego, a unicameral regional legislature in Southern Poland voted in a special emergency session on Sept. 22 to revoke an LGBTQ resolution that it had passed in 2019 under threat of losing European Union funding.
The executive branch of the European Union, the European Commission, sent letters out in late August to the governors of five of Poland’s voivodeships, (provinces) warning that pandemic relief funds totaling over 126 million euros ($150 million) will be withheld over anti-LGBTQ measures passed in their jurisdictions.
The EU Commission, which is chiefly responsible for proposing legislation, enforcing EU laws and directing EU administrative operations, notified the governors and the government of Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki that the coronavirus response investment initiative (CRII) funds from the Recovery assistance for cohesion and the territories of Europe (REACT-EU), would be rescinded over the so-called ‘LGBTQ Free Zones’ established in the five provinces.
Poland has seen a resurgence in the past three years of right-wing religious ultra-conservative groups backed by nationalistic extremists in this heavily Catholic country of 38 million, which have led to the passage of measures to restrict pride parades and other LGBTQ+-friendly events from taking place.
In the resolution passed in 2019 by the regional assembly of Sejmik Województwa Świętokrzyskiego, part of the language included “opposition to the attempts to introduce LGBTQ ideology to local government communities and the promotion of this ideology in public life.”
The resolution also noted; “deep disapproval and strong opposition to the attempts by liberal political and social circles to promote an ideology based on LGBTQ affirmation, which is in clear contradiction to the cultural heritage and centuries-old Christian traditions not only of the Swietokrzyski region but also of Poland and Europe.”
The Associated Press reported that Swietokrzyskie is the first area of Poland to rescind such a measure after becoming colloquially known as an “LGBTQ-free zone.” Its move came after the country’s government asked authorities in several regions to revoke their largely symbolic anti-LGBTQ resolutions.
Although several Polish courts have weighed in ruling the measures unconstitutional, little actions have been taken to mitigate them.
In July of 2020, the anti-LGBTQ president of Poland, Andrzej Duda, won re-election. Activists have sharply criticized Duda — head of Poland’s conservative Law and Justice party — over his anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
Duda in June of last year said LGBTQ “ideology” is more harmful than communism.
Justyna Nakielska of Kampania Przeciw Homofobii, a Polish LGBTQ advocacy group, told the Blade’s International Editor Michael Lavers that Duda has publicly described LGBTQ Poles as “a threat to the family” and said they “want to sexualize children.”
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