Poland is once again among the infamous leaders in protecting LGBTI rights. ILGA-Europe publishes its “Annual Review 2026”

The ILGA-Europe Annual Review 2026 report (covering events in 2025) shows that the situation for LGBTI people in Poland remains very difficult. Although there have been some minor improvements compared to previous years, Poland still ranks among the countries with the lowest level of rights protection in the European Union

What does the report say about Poland?

According to the latest ILGA-Europe report, despite the changing political climate in Poland, key legal changes that would improve the situation of LGBT+ people have yet to be implemented. Poland still does not recognize same-sex unions – neither marriages nor civil partnerships – meaning that same-sex couples lack access to fundamental family rights, such as inheritance, custody, or tax protection.

The report also highlights that protection against hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity remains elusive, and in practice, LGBT+ people still face threats in public spaces and in everyday life.

Comprehensive and clear regulations regarding gender recognition have not been introduced, despite a clear call in the resolution of the Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court in March 2025. It should be noted that a year ago, the Supreme Court ruled that gender recognition trials should be conducted non-litigiously (i.e., without the need to sue one’s parents). This is one of the demands we have been pushing for years. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court clearly in its resolution obliges the legislator to comprehensively resolve the issue of gender recognition through legislation.

The report also examines the anti-discrimination protection system in individual countries. It notes that in Poland it remains incomplete and fragmented, which means that LGBT+ people often lack effective tools to defend their rights.

While the space for organizing social events, such as equality marches and NGO meetings, is more stable today than it was several years ago, these changes do not translate into real, systemic legislative reforms that would ensure the full protection of the rights and safety of members of our community.

This year’s Annual Review clearly demonstrates that certain trends occurring in Europe, including the escalation of hate speech against LGBT+ people, are also present in Poland. The section on Poland describes significant court proceedings, including those concerning hate speech against activists, as well as those concerning so-called homophobes, and the instrumental use of the institution of insulting religious feelings by placing a rainbow flag on a statue of Christ. It also mentions the amendment to the Penal Code regarding crimes motivated by prejudice, which ultimately did not enter into force, and the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights against Poland. This report can be a source of inspiration for discussions about the limits of permissible freedom of expression and comparisons across countries – comments Annamaria Linczowska, Advocacy and Litigation Coordinator, who consulted on the report on behalf of the KPH.

Systemic attack on the community

As the report shows, restrictive practices against LGBT+ people have become established in Europe and Central Asia in 2025, including:

• criminal laws against “propaganda”,
• control of foreign funds,
• restrictions on gatherings,
• definitions of gender in biological terms.

Hungary and Turkey banned marches, and Russia continued its crackdown on organizations deemed extremist. New laws in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan criminalized the promotion of LGBT+ issues to children, and administrative sanctions and digital monitoring restricted the organizations’ activities. Activists and journalists were arrested or prosecuted in numerous countries, including Turkey and Hungary.

Schools and universities became places where content related to gender orientation and identity was restricted or even eliminated. Hungary, Slovakia, and Georgia introduced constitutional or legislative changes restricting the recognition of transgender, intersex, and non-binary people. Nevertheless, some countries strengthened their rights:

• In Poland, “LGBT-free zones” were abolished (see more: “LGBT-Free Zones” In Poland Became History!),
• Spain maintained anti-discrimination laws,
• Denmark and the Council of Europe promoted the rights of intersex people.

The specter of prejudice-driven disinformation and the influence of far-right and populist groups on the law hangs over Europe. In Central and Eastern Europe, more and more countries are embarking on a path of systemic discrimination against LGBT+ people under the guise of protecting families, traditional values, and freedom of speech. This last aspect, in particular, is increasingly being used as a counterargument in discussions about regulating social media and forcing platforms to implement more effective methods for removing and limiting hate speech – comments Przemek Walas, Advocacy Manager,

and adds

It’s hard not to connect this with the current administration of Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, which has targeted the LGBT+ community. The influence of ultra-conservative organizations is already visible in Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, and Slovakia. The American administration is also trying to influence the decisions of the European Commission and the European Parliament. This is a very dangerous trend and, at the same time, one of the key challenges facing the European Union: how to effectively defend democratic values ​​and human rights in the age of artificial intelligence and deepfakes.

The Annual Review report is being developed with the participation of activists from 54 countries. The chapter on Poland is being consulted by the Campaign Against Homophobia and the Trans-Fuzja Foundation.

Read the summary about Poland

Read the full report

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