Poland

According to ILGA-Europe, the status of LGBTIQ people’s human rights in Poland is the worst among European Union countries. Despite efforts to align countrywide anti-discrimination directives with EU membership mandates and legally recognize access to gender-affirming care, significant gaps remain. Discrimination still regularly occurs, marriage equality is not recognized, and changing legal gender markers requires both a medical diagnosis and a court process. 

In 2023, the right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which came into power in 2019 on a platform that sought to counter “LGBT ideology,” was voted out of power. However, it left a legacy of institutionalized hate that has been difficult to shake off. Under PiS leadership, 100 municipalities across Poland declared themselves “LGBT ideology-free zones,” banning public LGBTIQ events and creating unwelcoming and unsafe environments for LGBTIQ communities. The Polish LGBTIQ movement made use of European Union mechanisms to achieve the repeal of many of these ordinances. 

The election of a new government in 2023 created an opening for renewed recognition of the rights of LGBTIQ people. The government published a bill in October 2024 to legalize same-sex civil unions, and two government ministers participated in the 2024 Warsaw Pride march. Poland is also now playing a prominent role in the protection and promotion of LGBTIQ people’s rights at the European Union level, participating in relevant caucuses and, in May 2024, re-electing an openly gay man to serve as a Member of the European Parliament. Recent polls show growing support for sexual and gender diversity, including an all-time high support for marriage equality. However, intersex communities remain overlooked and underrepresented and continue to face human rights violations, especially related to access to information, legal recognition, and bodily autonomy.

*Outright research indicates that the bodily autonomy of intersex people is not respected and protected in this country.