The last local government in Poland, with its “LGBT Free Zone” resolution, has repealed the measure.
Supporters are calling this move as a big win.
Abolition marks a reversal just a few years ago, when nearly 100 regions, representing a third of the country’s regions, passed laws that directly or indirectly encourage the exclusion of LGBTQ people from society.
Some of these regions passed “family charters” and emphasized that marriage is restricted for couples of the opposite sex.
Other cities or viovodeships The (state) declared “free from LGBT ideology” that attempts to portray LGBTQ identity or relationships as normal or prohibit the spread of information that promotes LGBTQ rights, legal protection or visibility.
Former US President Joe Biden and other Western leaders were extremely critical of such laws, viewing them as an attack on human rights and as a dignity of LGBTQ people.
Last week, council members of Fucut County, in southeastern Poland, held a special session to abolish the “Charter of Family Rights” passed in 2019. Notes from Poland.
However, council members also revealed that the reason they voted for repeal was due to economic reasons, including the potential loss of 750,000 Zloty ($200,000) in funding from the county’s sole medical center.
“However, despite the fact that the local government’s charter of family rights is not illegal, given the circumstances, the Fu Cut County Commission is the opinion that it is impossible to eliminate more than 800 strong communities in St. Cut County by robbing the participation and benefits that government agencies have been awarded to, and by robbing the many programs and grants that have been awarded.” “The resolution adopted is therefore solely intended to counter the exclusion of residents of uańcut County.”
The council also complained about the way the Charter of Family Rights was portrayed in the media as “anti-LGBT” despite not expressly mentioning the LGBTQ community.
The Council also argued that the country’s human rights committee chair never expressed any issues or issues regarding the resolution, but it should be noted that both the current and previous committee members were appointed by the Polish Parliament, which until recently was controlled by the Right Wing Law and the Judicial Party (PIS).
The party, like many right-wing counterparts around the world, urges the community to pass such ordinances under the guise of “protecting children,” using LGBTQ identity as a wedge issue in political campaigns.
In July 2021, the European Commission launched legal proceedings against Poland for a “LGBT-free” resolution, claiming it was likely that it had violated EU law by discriminating against people based on its sexual orientation. Shortly afterwards, the European Union froze funds for the Polish region that passed such laws.
Separately, the EEA and Norwegian grant programmes have announced that unlike the EU, they will not fund government-run projects implementing anti-LGBTQ resolutions to fund local governments.
LGBTQ Rights Advocates – A map that outlines where anti-LGBTQ laws are in place, including those who created the “Atlas of Hate,” praised the abolition.
“We are extremely pleased that this stage is coming to an end,” said Jakub Gauron, one of the authors of Atlas. Notes from Poland In a statement. “But that doesn’t change the fact that these resolutions should not pass at all.”
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
