We’ve previously reported on the rise of “LGBT FREE” areas of Poland, where citizens, politicians, and the Catholic Church, have deemed queerness to be a threat to society. Sadly, according to the BBC, about 1/3 of the nation now declares itself to be LGBT free, which means that LGBTQ people aren’t welcomed there, and things like education and outreach will not be tolerated.
The backbone of this movement is complicated, but comes down to three main things:
1.) Xenophobia – Many in Poland believe that “LGBT ideology” comes from “The West”, and is a scourge against Poland. This is blatant nationalism and xenophobia, and an obvious instance of scapegoating a minority group to mask their hatred of others.
2.) Masculinity – Many men in Poland think that the LGBTQ movement makes Poland “look weak”, which, as one man stated in the BBC article, “that’s the goal of Poland’s enemies…” It’s a clear indication of social and economic unrest in the nation, which is causing the fragile heteronormative mindest to feel threatened.
3.) Religion – Poland is still heavily Catholic, and, as a whole, much of the nation lacks education. This always leads to religion wielding a disproportionate amount of power. And Poland’s Catholic church actively targets queer people and has officially stated that LGBTQ people “hurt families”. One Archbishop even called it the “rainbow plague.”
Luckily, the rest of the world is taking notice of Poland’s bigotry. Earlier this year, a town in France denounced its sister city in Poland and ended their relationship. A few weeks ago, former Vice President and Democratic Candidate, Joe Biden, even came out and condemned Poland’s actions. And just a couple of days ago, Poland lost yet another sister city, when the town of Fermoy in Ireland’s County Cork officially ended its twinship, stating “ as a society, we are empowered to take a firm stance against the discrimination and erasure of the LGBT+ community.”
It’s up to us to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people around the world. Everyone deserves equalty, and hopefully, with increased global attention, equal rights can come to the LGBTQ people of Poland.
