European Parliament protests anti-gay policy in Polish villages

The European Parliament has condemned Poland for establishing dozens of gay-free zones. With a widely supported resolution, the European Parliament denounces the Polish conservative ruling party PiS, which allows and even encourages this policy by the cities.

By setting up ‘LGBTI-free zones’, more than eighty Polish towns and villages aim to discourage and disapprove of the presence of LGBTI people. The ‘policy’ to establish these zones has no legal validity, so gays and lesbians cannot actually be banned from the cities.

Critics say the Polish authorities are fueling hatred and even aggression towards LGBTI individuals. The government newspaper Gazeta Polska even distributed stickers with anti-LGBTI symbols to circulate in the towns that have implemented the new rules.

In recent years, disagreements between European countries and Poland have increased because of the nationalist and conservative policies of the Polish ruling party PiS. These include various restrictions Warsaw imposes on the liberal freedoms advocated by the EU and EU institutions. Recently, Brussels and Warsaw clashed over the silencing of independent Polish judges.

The European Union wants Polish schools to raise awareness of gay rights among Polish students and stresses that European subsidies must in no way be used for the “discriminatory policy.”

The resolution was co-submitted by Dutch liberal D66 Member of the European Parliament Sophie in ’t Veld. She calls the establishment of the zones a “fundamental violation of human rights.” She wants Europe to send a strong signal with the resolution, also to other member states that do not prioritize LGBTI rights, such as Hungary.

The Polish ruling party PiS has won many votes in recent years with statements about “traditional norms and values,” which in practice mean restricting gay and women’s rights.