Published by ABC on February 11, 2021.
Protesters came out to support LGBT rights after a pride parade was attacked by neo-Nazi groups. (AFP: Michal Fludra/NurPhoto)
Poland's "LGBT-free zones" — nearly 100 regions, towns and cities that have passed anti-gay resolutions — could encourage hate crimes and spur violence, according to a human rights body.
The European Union has also criticised the zones, which began appearing in 2019 when Poland's nationalist Government started campaigning against the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
"These resolutions are part of a broader attack against the LGBT community in Poland, which include growing hate speech by public and elected officials and public media," the report said.
The 94 local authorities have all passed resolutions opposing "LGBT ideology" or have signed a "family charter", which activist says only supports heterosexual, married couples.
Advocates say the "LGBT-free zones" have bred violence, including attacks on two pride marches in 2019, and contributed to poor mental health among young LGBT Poles.
On Wednesday, a local government body representing 820 million Europeans in 47 countries added its critique in a report for the Council of Europe, the continent's main human rights body.
"By naming people as an ideology, they dehumanise them," said Andrew Boff, who co-wrote the report for the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
"This then gives rise to violence and discrimination against that community.
"What other reason is there for these resolutions?"
Polish officials did not respond to requests for comment.
Hate crimes more than double in recent years
International pressure is growing on Poland's Government, with regions that oppose "LGBT ideology" labelled "humanity-free zones" by EU president Ursula von der Leyen.
Reported hate crimes against LGBT people more than doubled to 150 in 2019, according to official data cited in the report.
Only 16 per cent of Polish LGBT people reported any homophobic attack they had suffered to police, a 2020 EU survey found.
Poland says the local resolutions have no legal standing.
"[They] are only opinions and do not affect rights and obligations of the residents," Poland's minister of funds and regional policy, Malgorzata Jarosinska-Jedynak, said in an October letter to Norwegian officials.
Some countries and international organisations have suspended funding for the conservative southern and eastern Polish regions that passed the resolutions.
Norway has suspended 3.5 million euros ($5.5 million) of funding for two cultural projects.
In July, the EU rejected six applications for town-twinning grants of up to $39,000 from such authorities.
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