Poland's right-wg populist lear Andrzej Duda me to power last year on a platform cryg a ‘LGBT-iology’ he alleged was spreadg throughout his untry at the expense of tradnal fay valu. Now, dozens of Polish municipali have enacted "LGBT iology ee zon" makg members of the gay muny this European Unn member state fear for their safety. Simon Ostrovsky reports om Poland wh support om the Pulzer Center.
Contents:
- 5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)
- NO GAY ZONE
- JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY
- THERE’S (STILL) NO GAY GENE
5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)
* no gay zone *
She is gay, and gay people are not wele Kozy.
But the impact is felt most pafully — and daily — by the gay, lbian and transgenr Pol who live towns that would prefer they simply weren’t there.
Parts of s particularly nservative, ral regns to the southeast have never embraced LGBT people; but now, homophobic rhetoric is uttered by the state and preached church, and hostily on the streets is boilg over.
NO GAY ZONE
The untry has been ranked as the worst place the European Unn to be gay or trans. * no gay zone *
When a massive EU study earlier this year found that LGBT+ people on the ntent generally feel safer than they did five years ago, Poland was the glarg exceptn; two-thirds of gay, lbian and transgenr Pol said tolerance and acts of vlence agast them had creased, while four five said they avoid certa plac for fear of beg asslted — the hight rate Europe. “I’ll never tell them (that I’m gay), ” she says. Homophobia exists not jt on many of Poland’s streets, but the closed-door uncil meetgs where the eedom of LGBT people is bated; and where a visceral, ep-rooted and alarmgly sual sentiment is laid bare.
In Swidnik, a small town near the Ukraian borr, uncilors pated gays and lbians as “radil people strivg for a cultural revolutn, ” accg them of wishg to “attack eedom of speech (and) the nocence of children.
JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY
” In Nowa Sarzyna, another eastern town, homosexualy was labelled “ntrary to the laws of nature” and a vlatn of “human digny. In the past year, he has e out, attend his first Pri para, and suffered his first experience wh homophobia.
The pontiff was born jt a few towns to the east, and is revered for givg Pol hope durg the era of martial law — but his stnch opposn to homosexualy wined the chasm between many LGBT people and the church. “I have one iend who was kicked out of his home bee he was gay. They brought a big speaker that plays long homophobic monologu nouncg the LGBT muny as “viant” and “dangero.
THERE’S (STILL) NO GAY GENE
But sce s “LGBT-ee” stat was emed unnstutnal and annulled by a lol urt July, the dozy town has been thst to the heart of Poland’s battle over gay rights.
Homophobic legislatn and rolutns have forced many Pol to make a choice: leave town or stay quiet. Dependg on where they’re head, gay travelers n face great risks.
Acrdg to Equalx, a range of gay activi are illegal 71 untri. In an attempt to help terme the worst plac for gay travelers, the duo created the 2019 LGBTQ+ Danger Inx, rankg the world’s most dangero—and saft—untri for gay travelers.