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Poland's Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro (archive image)
Photo: Jacek Bednarczyk / dpa
Gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender and queer people have a hard time in Poland: homophobia is still widespread in the Catholic country, President Andrzej Duda raised the mood against an alleged "LGBT ideology" in the election campaign last year.
Now the government apparently wants to restrict the rights of homosexuals legally.
Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro presented a draft law on Thursday that would expressly prohibit people living in same-sex relationships from adopting children.
Ziobro is a member of the right-wing ruling party Solidarna Polska (Solidarity Poland).
The minister argued that the best interests of the child were the "overriding value."
President Andrzej Duda also advocated such a step last summer.
This would make child adoption practically impossible for LGBTQ people.
EU declared an area of freedom for LGBTIQ people
On Thursday afternoon, a clear majority of MEPs in the EU Parliament voted to declare the European Union an area of freedom for LGBTIQ people.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter on Wednesday: “To be yourself is not an ideology.
It is your identity.
Nobody can ever take that away from you. "
According to the dpa news agency, the declaration can be seen as a reaction to an anti-gay campaign in Poland last year.
At that time, around 100 Polish communities had issued declarations against an alleged "LGBT ideology".
As a counter-protest, activists in the scene printed boards with the inscription »LGBT-free zone« and hung them for a photo at the entrance to the town.
The protest made headlines around the world.
Terry Reintke from the Greens now saw the parliamentary decision as a signal, but only a first step.
"We know that in far too many places in the European Union our lives are still in danger, our rights restricted, our freedom brutally stifled." Countries violence and discrimination are still a reality for LGBTIQ people.
Already now only married couples and individuals can adopt children in Poland.
Same-sex couples are not legally recognized in the EU member state.
As the deputy minister of justice Michal Wojcik announced according to the Reuters news agency, the authorities responsible for the placement of adopted children should in future pay "special attention" to whether people are in homosexual relationships.
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fek / dpa / Reuters