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Description
Polish local governments are increasingly taking up the subject of equality policies, especially in southeastern Poland, where so-called ‘LGBT-free zones’ have been created. Officials and civil servants are becoming more and more interested in this topic. Public policies addressing the problems of the LGBTQIA community are a recent phenomenon, which is present primarily in Poland''s largest cities. As part of this project, we will map the problems of LGBTQIA people and the expectations they have of public institutions. Based on this diagnosis, we will propose postulates and solutions that can be implemented by local governments. At the same time, we will strengthen advocacy at the local level to support the implementation of such policies. We will carry out a public campaign aimed at countering hateful narratives about the LGBTQIA community. In cooperation with partners from the Donor States and based on good practices exsisting in both local government and the third sector’s activities, we will develop an advocacy strategy and model solutions to be implemented in smaller towns in southeastern Poland. Partners in the project are: FRI – Foreningen for kjønns- og seksualitetsmangfold Vestland oraz Samtökin ''78, both of which advocate for LGBTQIA rights in Norway and Iceland.
Summary of project results
In recent years, we have observed an increase in interest and openness of local governments to equality policies. This happened, for example, in Krakow, where the Council for Equal Treatment was established in 2019, in the work of which members of the Foundation participate. However, this opening is observed primarily in the largest cities, which is especially in contrast to the so-called LGBT-free zones and locally adopted Local Government Charters of Family Rights is particularly important from the perspective of smaller urban centers, where similar activities are very important, if not more important. The example of Świdnica, where the Council for Equal Treatment was established in March 2021, shows that similar actions are possible there as well. It is also important to emphasize the role of the participation of the LGBTQIA community itself in the creation of similar bodies at local governments, or the development of municipal equality policies so that they are most responsive to its needs.
The project aimed to map the problems of LGBTQIA people and the expectations they have towards public institutions, and to formulate this diagnosis into specific demands and solutions that local governments can introduce. In parallel, we strengthened local advocacy to implement such policies. To counteract the hateful narrative affecting the LGBTQIA community, a social campaign was carried out calling for necessary changes locally.
During the project, a study of the situation of the LGBTQIA community in south-eastern Poland and an analysis of local policies, a brochure, also in English, summarizing the project activities and a detailed report, were carried out, advocacy workshops for activists and a congress on equality policies were carried out, popularizing project activities and results . A social campaign was also carried out, stimulating local activities in favor of equality policies.
All implemented activities will also be a useful tool for change locally in the coming months and years (which we are already hearing), especially in the context of local government elections, which are also very important in maintaining and developing local advocacy and strengthening the LGBTQIA community to speak with their own voice. The prepared brochure is a simple and accessible toolkit for both officials and activists, with good practices, ideas and ready-made recommendations.
As part of the project, a study was conducted, the results of which were widely communicated by the organization and the media, which resulted in increased public awareness of discrimination against LGBTQIA people in south-eastern Poland. People participating in project activities informed the Foundation''s teams that thanks to the acquired knowledge and skills they would be able to start their advocacy activities in the region, and the research conducted would make it easier for them to motivate their needs. Additionally, we also received information that participation in our advocacy training strengthened the participants and gave them the strength to start taking action.
Summary of bilateral results
The PP has established strong relationships with organizations from the Donor Countries, which not only allowed for valuable study exchanges but also resulted in further invitations of people from the Foundation to Norway for other events. Details regarding the study trips themselves are presented below in the report. It is worth adding that apart from the trips themselves, the grantee is in constant contact with partners and plans further activities both in Poland, Norway and Iceland. During the meetings, city policies and a broader approach to activities for LGBTQIA people were discussed. The aim of the visit to Oslo was also to look at the city''s activities and cooperation around Oslo Pride. Unfortunately, during our stay there was a terrorist attack on the LGBT community bar. We will not hide the fact that this situation had a psychological impact on the people participating in the study visit. In the following days, the grantee visited Bergen, where he met with other institutions and organizations. A meeting with the Bergen Pride organization was also held at the headquarters of the partner FRI Vestland. In addition, meetings were held with representatives of the Department of Culture, Diversity and Equality of the Bergen City Hall and representatives of the University of Bergen, which runs the Queer Archive. Thanks to the support and contacts of partners from donor countries, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with representatives of local government units from Oslo, Tromso, Kristiansand, Bergen and Reykjavik and non-governmental organizations from these cities, as well as, among others, smaller towns in Iceland.