Podcast: What’s it like being LGBTI in Poland in 2020?

Poland has reached a dangerous boiling point in its state-driven discrimination against LGBTI people. The first episode of ILGA-Europe’s podcast, The Frontline, goes behind the scenes to talk about a way forward for LGBTI activism in the country. Here’s what it’s all about…

Poland has been making international headlines over the past few years for its increasing state driven homophobia and transphobia, pushed by public representatives in both the political and religious arenas, but how is the situation experienced on the ground for ordinary LGBTI people? In the first episode of ILGA-Europe’s new podcast, The Frontline, we talk to Polish activist Slava Melnyk, from LGBTI organisation KPH, and David Socha, a young gay man living in the city of Pulawy, which was declared one of Poland’s so-called LGBT-Free Zones last year. Stay with us until the end to hear the ILGA-Europe team discuss the happenings in Poland as part of a wider trend, how Europe should respond, and strategic thinking for the Polish LGBTI movement.

“The issue is very divisive,” says Warsaw-based activist Slava Melnyk in an interview with The Frontline, ILGA-Europe´s brand new podcast. In the aftermath of the re-election of far-right President Andrzej Duda and protests in early August, in solidarity with activist Margot Szutowicz, who was arrested and now awaits trial, the situation for LGBTI people in Poland has reached a dangerous boiling point. However, despite state-driven LGBTphobia, illustrated by the rise of the so-called ‘Family Charter’ and LGBT-free Zones across the country, there are many Polish people who disagree with the ruling PiS party’s stance on ‘LGBT ideaology’.

“When I walk down the street, every other building has a rainbow flag as a gesture of solidarity and support for the movement,” says Melnyk.

In the very first episode of The Frontline we delve deep into the situation for LGBTI people in Poland and the work of activists amid the rise of official anti-LGBTI campaigning and the recent crackdown. Along with Slava Melnyk from KPH (Campaign Against Homophobia), David Socha, a young gay man living in one of Poland’s LGBT-free Zones, tells us about how this has affected his day-to-day life, and the ILGA-Europe advocacy team discuss the role of the EU institutions and external actors, and ways forward for the LGBTI movement in Poland.

David Socha was “shocked and enraged” when he learnt his town, Pulawy, had been declared an LGBT-Free zone. “I feel a sense of dread that people who pass by me might insult me,” he tells The Frontline. “I’ve heard from my friends that it only takes being in the wrong place at the wrong time, that will get you beaten… I’ve had friends saying that LGBTI people are ill and that they shouldn’t exist.”

On Monday 14 September, ILGA-Europe together with Polish LGBT rights organisations KPH (Campaign Against Homophobia) and Fundacja Równo?ci (The Equality Foundation) submitted a legal complaint to the European Commission about the so-called Family Charters and LGBT-free zones, which over 100 Polish local governments have adopted over the last two years.

“The European Commission and Council can no longer remain silent in the face of such blatant violations of the principle of non-discrimination by a member state,” said Katrin Hugendubel Advocacy Director of ILGA-Europe.

Rounding up our episode, Katrin and ILGA-Europe’s Senior Litigation Officer, Arpi Avetisyan talk about the trend that the rise of LGBTphobia in Poland is part of, strategic ways forward for the Polish LGBTI activists, and how Europe can take effective action to remedy the situation.

To access our timeline charting the rise of LGBTI hate in Poland, visit this link, check out Poland’s position in our Rainbow Map 2020 and the Poland chapter in our Annual Review 2020.

See also

News

Joint statement: Welcoming European Court judgement on Poland’s failure to protect same-sex couples married abroad

The European Court of Human Rights has found that Poland breached the right to respect for the family life of two same-sex Polish couples married […]
read more
Blog

LGBTI activism in the new far-right era

Activists in the Balkans, Greece, Italy and Poland talk about the shared challenges across Europe as the far-right continues to gain ground. As the far-right […]
read more
News

Trans woman should have been allowed access to hormone therapy in prison, says European Court

The European Court of Human Rights has found that Poland violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, protecting the right to private […]
read more
Press Release

Alarming surge in transphobic speech across Europe sparks concern for EU elections

Ahead of the EU Elections next June, a new report shows a stark rise in anti-LGBTI, and in particular, transphobic statements from politicians across Europe. […]
read more
Report

Our submission to the EC 2024 Rule of Law report

Over the past few years it has become increasingly clear that many government-led violations of LGBTI rights in EU Member States go hand-in-hand with an […]
read more
News

Poland must ensure that same-sex couples are legally recognised, European Court rules

The European Court of Human Rights has issued a judgement against Poland in a case taken by five same-sex couples in the country, seeking to […]
read more
Blog

What we can learn from LGBTI activists against all odds

In countries where governments are pushing back on LGBTI people's rights, joining Pride events is a courageous act that carries higher risks. However, it is in their invisible, everyday work where LGBTI activists showcase their most profound courage. The LGBTI movement in Turkey, as well as in Armenia and Azerbaijan, serve as remarkable examples of resilience against all odds.
read more
News

Bringing change in turbulent times: A call for applications for LGBTI groups in Poland

What is this programme about and why are we launching it? ILGA-Europe invites applications from LGBTI organisations and groups in Poland that see a concrete […]
read more
Blog

The 5 largest attacks on the fundamental rights of LGBTI people in the EU last year

In our submission to the European Commission’s annual Rule of Law report, we’ve identified key trends in the systematic attacks on the rights of LGBTI […]
read more
Report

Our submission to the EC 2023 Rule of Law report

The submission covers developments in eight EU Member States as regards rule of law developments in the countries which have had an impact on the […]
read more
News

After Polish Case, CJEU Rules to Protect Self-employed Workers based on Sexual Orientation

In December 2017, a self-employed worker and his partner published a music video on YouTube aimed at promoting tolerance towards same-sex couples. Shortly after the […]
read more
News

Sexual orientation is not a reason to terminate a contract with a self-employed worker, says Advocate General of the CJEU

Today, the Advocate General of the CJEU has issued an opinion in the case of J.K. vs the Polish public broadcaster company TP, stating that discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment is not acceptable under EU law.
read more
Blog

The timeline leading from anti-LGBTI Instagram posts to the “honour killing” of an LGBTI activist in Azerbaijan

The cousin of LGBTI activist Avaz Hafizli has been jailed for his horrific murder, which came on foot of protests against hateful Instagram posts by the Instagram star, Sevinj Huseynova, who called for the physical ‘removal’ of sexual minorities and trans people from Azerbaijan. The trial was a travesty of justice, according to activists.
read more
News

Rainbow families have the right to move and reside freely, EU court reiterates

The Court of Justice of the EU has stated that birth certificates issued in an EU country must be recognised across the EU, and that EU countries should protect the freedom of movement of rainbow families.
read more
Blog

How we created our brand-new website to support LGBTI activism

After 18 months of planning and work, the team at ILGA-Europe are proud to introduce our brand-new website. It shows the range of work we do and LGBTI activists and organisations can now easily find the information they need. Keep reading to learn more about how it was developed and how you can make the most of it.
read more
News

Polish public broadcaster TP in EU Court for Discrimination Against Self-employed LGBTI Person

Today, the case of J.K. vs the Polish public broadcasting company TP, in which the applicant is seeking compensation for the discontinuation of his freelance […]
read more
News

European Commission and Council should refrain from approving recovery funds to the governments of Poland and Hungary

An Urgent call on the European Commission and the Council of europe to refrain from approving recovery funds to the governments of Poland and Hungary, […]
read more
Blog

The 5 trending attacks on the fundamental rights of LGBTI people in the EU in 2021

Right now, as the war on Ukraine escalates, democracy, human rights and equality matter more than ever in Europe. In our submission to the European Commission’s annual Rule of Law report, we’ve identified key trends in the systematic attacks on the rights of LGBTI people across EU member states.
read more
News

EU Ministers must act on the serious breach of EU’s rule of law and values in Poland

While Poland keeps attacking LGBTI people and their rights, ILGA-Europe have signed a joint letter along with 86 other NGOs asking EU Ministers to take action.
read more
Report

Our submission to the EC 2022 Rule of Law Report

Expert contributions were provided by organisations PROUD (Czech Republic), LGBT komiteen (Denmark), Inter-LGBT (France), Háttér Társaság (Hungary), KPH & Atlas of Hate (Poland), ACCEPT (Romania), […]
read more
Blog

What has 2021 meant to the LGBTI movement in Europe? Listen to our latest podcast episode to find out this year’s highlights

As 2021 comes to an end, we have collected some of the moments, events and trends that have marked the year in the latest episode of The Frontline, ILGA-Europe’s podcast about LGBTI activism and lives in Europe and Central Asia. Read here some of the episode’s highlights and find out reasons to stay hopeful in 2022.
read more
News

Commission includes LGBTI people in initiative to tackle hate crime and hate speech across the European Union

The European Commission has put forward a legal initiative to extend the list of EU crimes to include hate speech, both online and offline, and hate crime, with clear understanding that LGBTI people must be protected.
read more
News

Open letter to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen

ILGA-Europe,  OII Europe, and TGEU urge the European Commission to acknowledge the existing prevalence of the violence and incitement to discrimination against LGBTI people, through naming SOGIGESC explicitly as protected grounds in the upcoming EU-level hate crime and hate speech legal initiative.
read more
Press Release

Turkey acquits 19 LGBTI+ Pride marchers, honouring fundamental human rights, domestic law, and international commitments

Leading European LGBTI rights organisation, ILGA-Europe welcomes the decision of a Turkish court to acquit 19 activists, who were charged with “unlawful assembly” for their […]
read more
Report

Poland Anti-LGBTI Hate Timeline

Over the past number of years, LGBTI people have come under increasing attack from ruling politicians, religious leaders and other public figures in Poland. This […]
read more
News

European Court rules in favour of the best interest of the child in same-sex custody case

The European Court of Human rights has ruled that the refusing a mother custody of her youngest child on the grounds of her sexual orientation to be discriminatory and a violation of her right to private and family life.
read more
Blog

How LGBTI rights are being used for political manipulation in Europe, and why that’s something everyone should be worried about

Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic has issued a powerful comment, clarifying that LGBTI people are being used as a political pawns by ultra-conservative leaders in more and more European countries, and that in turn the human rights and freedom of everyone are being undermined. Here’s what she had to say.
read more
Podcast

The frontline: Queer and the Media: with Ben Hunte

Ben Hunt’s first year on the job as BBC LGBT Correspondent* has been an unprecedented one, with the rise of anti-LGBT hatred in Europe, marked […]
read more
Press Release

With today’s infringements the EU has clarified that member states can no longer act against human rights with impunity

According to ILGA-Europe, the infringement procedures announced by the European Commission today show that the EU has come to a tipping point; after years of […]
read more
News

After a week of long-awaited statements and letters from EU leaders castigating the implementation of anti-LGBTI legislation in Hungary, ILGA-Europe will continue working with the institutions so that words can be translated into real action

In the light of increasing attacks on LGBTI rights, stagnation of legal progress and clear lack of implementation of the rights of LGBTI people in […]
read more