Poland

Poland remains one of the most challenging countries in the European Union for LGBTIQ people’s rights. Same-sex sexual relations are legal, but same-sex marriage and civil partnerships are not yet recognized, leaving same-sex couples without legal family protection. Antidiscrimination law covers sexual orientation in employment, but protections in housing, health care, and services are lacking, and there are no government efforts to eradicate conversion practices.

For transgender people, gender recognition still requires a complex court process—historically including suing parents—although a 2025 Supreme Court ruling eased this burden. Activists continue to push for self-identification laws, though progress faces conservative resistance, and health care access remains limited. Intersex people lack specific legal protections, with nonconsensual surgeries on minors reported and little public or legal recourse.

From 2019 to 2023, the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government promoted anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric and oversaw the spread of so-called “LGBT ideology-free zones” in around 100 municipalities, creating hostile local environments. Following sustained pressure from activists and the European Union, the final remaining resolutions were repealed in 2025, formally ending this practice. The change of government after the 2023 elections opened space for cautious reform: a bill to legalize same-sex civil unions was introduced in October 2024, with discussions continuing into 2025. Pride marches, including the Warsaw Equality Parade, have continued to take place and draw large crowds, reflecting growing public support.

Poland’s relationship with EU human rights mechanisms shaped the local legal climate in 2025. The European Court of Justice ruled that all EU member states must recognize same-sex marriages legally performed elsewhere in the bloc for purposes such as freedom of movement and family life, even if those states do not allow such marriages domestically—an important legal rebuke to Poland’s refusal to recognize foreign same-sex marriages. This ruling does not compel domestic legalization of same-sex marriage but increases pressure on member states to avoid discriminatory treatment.

Public opinion in Poland has shown signs of change, with polling indicating growing support for same-sex marriage or civil partnerships, particularly among younger and more urban populations, suggesting a slow shift in societal attitudes.