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# EU denies funding for ‘LGBTQ+ free’ Polish towns
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/eu-denies-funding-for-lgbtq-free-polish-towns/
- Published: 2020-08-07T13:14:10.000Z
- Updated: 2020-08-06T18:10:36.000Z
- Description: Six towns in Poland have been denied European Union funding as they have declared themselves ‘LGBTQ+ free zones’. The towns have signed pledges which oppose acts of tolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community.
- Author: Rachel Badham
- Tags: Community, Information, News, Out & About, Politics, Queer Corner, Travel, Eu, Poland

[![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/eu-lgbt-rights600.png)](https://www.gscene.com/eu-lgbt-rights600/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)

Six towns in **Poland** have been denied **European Union** funding as they have declared themselves ‘LGBTQ+ free zones’. The towns have signed pledges which oppose acts of tolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community.

Their requests for town twinning, which comes with potential funding, have been dismissed, with [EU commissioner for equality **Helena Dalli** saying](https://twitter.com/helenadalli/status/1288122195927896068?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1288122195927896068%7Ctwgr%5E&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fpolandin.com%2F49179639%2Fno-eu-funding-for-lgbtiideology-free-polish-towns&ref=scenemag.co.uk) that ‘EU values and fundamental rights must be respected’, and the move to brand towns gay-free breached this requirement to receive EU privileges.

[![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/polandlgbt600400.png)](https://www.gscene.com/polandlgbt600400/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)

Anti-LGBTQ+ president **Andrzej Duda’s** recent election victory – giving him five more years in power – has been a blow to queer rights in the country as he branded LGBT rights activism an ‘ideology’ worse than the communism.

A [2020 survey](https://www.ilga-europe.org/rainboweurope/2020?ref=scenemag.co.uk) by **ILGA-Europe** has demonstrated that Poland is the least developed country in the EU in terms of LGBTQ+ equality. The survey also tracked regression in equality for queer citizens of Poland over the course of the past year.

The increase in anti-LGBTQ+ zones means that now approximately [one-third](https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/07/29/poland-lgbt-free-zones-towns-eu-funding-twin-city-homophobic/?ref=scenemag.co.uk) of Poland falls under this category, with most of these areas being in the conservative south east region. The EU has taken a stance against this development in Poland by not only denying town twinning, but by [threatening to cut pandemic recovery funds](https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/06/18/poland-lgbt-free-zones-homophobic-eu-funding/?ref=scenemag.co.uk) and urging the governors of the region to take measures to promote equality.