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# Three Polish regions reverse anti-LGBTQ+ legislation
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/three-polish-regions-reverse-anti-lgbtq-legislation/
- Published: 2021-09-29T13:14:04.000Z
- Updated: 2021-09-29T11:41:17.000Z
- Description: Podkarpackie, Lubelskie and Malopolskie have repealed declarations to oppose LGBTQ+ equality after the EU threatened to axe funding.
- Author: Rachel Badham
- Tags: News, Politics, Queer Corner, Eu, European Commission, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+ free zones Poland, Poland

Podkarpackie, Lubelskie and Malopolskie have repealed declarations to actively oppose LGBTQ+ equality after the European Commission threatened to axe funding, making them the latest regions in Poland to remove their ‘LGBTQ+ free zone’ status. According to the [*BBC*](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58714658?at%5Fmedium=RSS&at%5Fcampaign=KARANGA&ref=scenemag.co.uk), the European Commission was planning to withdraw €126m ($147m) in funding for local Polish governments that did not amend their legislation so as to make it LGBTQ+ inclusive.

As a result, a handful of LGBTQ+ free zones have altered their regulations, including [Swietokrzyskie](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/polish-region-votes-to-overturn-anti-lgbtq-policies/), which amended its anti-LGBTQ+ status last week. LGBTQ+ activist Bart Staszewski, who is best known for protesting against the LGBTQ+ free zones, told the BBC that more action is needed to tackle inequality and discrimination in Poland: *“Politicians are playing with us. I mean they don’t want to revoke the whole resolution, they just want to replace it with another one.”*

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

It is estimated that there are around 100 LGBTQ+ free zones in Poland. Following the rise in anti-LGBTQ+ hostility, the EU launched the [LGBTIQ Equality Strategy](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/eu-creates-greater-protections-for-lgbtq-people/) in November 2020\. This action plan aims to oppose right-wing regimes of prejudice against queer people after 43% of LGBTQ+ people reported being discriminated against in the last year. Explaining the strategy, EU commission vice-president Vera Jourova said: *“We will defend the rights of LGBTQ+ people against those who now have more and more appetite to attack them from this ideological point of view…This belongs to the authoritarian playbook and it does not have a place in the EU.”*