What is happening in Poland? Due to the pandemic and the growing media commitment to it, it seems that other social topics are neglected. The rights of the LGBT population in Poland have certainly never been at an enviable level, but the latest news about “LGBT- free zones” leaves us speechless and makes us wonder in which century we live.

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 February 10, a local government body representing 820 million Europeans in 47 countries added criticism in a report by the Council of Europe, the continent’s main human rights body.

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.

In 2020, BBC journalist Lucy Ash visited some LGBT free zones in Poland. There she spoke with Philip, a homosexual teenager. She visited Tuchov, a 6,500-person city founded in the Middle Ages, which also declared itself free of “LGBT ideology.” Philip, not his real name, moved to the city from a more liberal-minded big city. His parents have no problem with his sexuality. And neither did Philip ever fear for his safety in Tuchov. However, that does not mean that it is easy to be a homosexual in this part of Poland, 100 km east of Krakow.

“Once, when my boyfriend and I were holding hands”, he says, “we heard a few people shouting names at us.” Gay people in Tuchow, he adds, can only live in peace by staying “invisible”. If he hasn’t suffered from any bad experiences, it is because he is “a bit of a nerd” who spends much of his time playing video games in front of his computer.

A far-right organisation called All Polish Youth have vowed to “beat down the rainbow scum”, furious that multi-coloured flags had been hung on statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

There are many examples and testimonies from both sides of what is happening in Poland. One thing is for sure, and that is that passions don’t calm down. The government doesn’t support violence, but it certainly doesn’t support the LGBT population either. The topic of 100 free LGBT zones is certainly something we must not neglect as Europeans. An agreement or a peaceful solution is not in sight, and the Polish authorities are wisely keeping silent about the current situation. The corona virus is a topic that may occupy ours too much, because every day people argue about many important topics … the right to life, freedom, expression, existence.