- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Unregistered cohabitation
- Censorship
- ✖ State-enforced
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Legal, but requires surgery
- Non-binary gender recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ Illegal in some contexts
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ Sexual orientation only
- Housing Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Adoption
- ✖ Single only
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
Suggest Public Opinion Data
-0001–-0001
Public Opinion
Views on same-sex marriage or other legal recognition
Ranked #21 out of 27 regions surveyed. (Source: Ipsos, April–May, 2021)
(22%) Against
Support (66%)
Views on same-sex couples' right to adopt
Ranked #25 out of 27 regions surveyed. (Source: Ipsos, April–May, 2021)
(58%) Disagree
Agree (33%)
Acceptance of homosexuals as neighbors ?
Ranked #33 out of 79 regions surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)
(27.9%) Mentioned homosexuals
Did not mention homosexuals (64.5%)
Justifiability of homosexuality ?
Ranked #37 out of 79 regions surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)
(52.4%) Not justifiable
Justifiable (24.2%)
Opinion on same-sex couples as parents ?
Ranked #52 out of 74 regions surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)
(57.3%) Disagree
Agree (11.8%)
"Should society accept homosexuality?" (2019) ?
Ranked #19 out of 34 regions surveyed. (Source: Pew Research Center, May–October, 2019)
(42%) No
Yes (47%)
Perceived prevalence of discrimination against transgender people (European Union) ?
Ranked #14 out of 28 regions surveyed. (Source: Eurobarometer, May 2019)
(42%) Widespread
Rare (44%)
Perceived prevalence of discrimination against sexual orientation (European Union) ?
Ranked #17 out of 28 regions surveyed. (Source: Eurobarometer, May 2019)
(49%) Widespread
Rare (43%)
Acceptance of same-sex relationships (European Union) ?
Ranked #19 out of 28 regions surveyed. (Source: Eurobarometer, May 2019)
(46%) Disagree
Agree (49%)
Support for transgender people changing legal gender (European Union) ?
Ranked #19 out of 28 regions surveyed. (Source: Eurobarometer, May 2019)
(40%) No
Yes (41%)
History
Homosexual activity in Poland is legal.
Current status
Since Jan 1945
Since Jan 1945
Illegal (death penalty as punishment)
LGBT people were persecuted by Nazi forces during the German occupation of the Second World War.
Legal
Homosexuality is legal, even inside Poland's LGBT-free zones, and the penal code cannot be revised for each local government as Poland is not a federal state.
Ambiguous
During the Second Polish Republic, same sex activity was not legislated against, but was considered taboo.
Same-sex marriage in Poland is unregistered cohabitation.
Current status
Unregistered cohabitation
Article 18 of the Polish Constituation defines marriage as "a union of a man and a woman".
Legal challenges have been made against this, including in the European Court of Human Rights, and The Court of Justice of the European Union has also ruled that all EU member states must recognise the rights of same-sex spouse, but no new law has been passed. Unregistered cohabitation recognized.
Legal challenges have been made against this, including in the European Court of Human Rights, and The Court of Justice of the European Union has also ruled that all EU member states must recognise the rights of same-sex spouse, but no new law has been passed. Unregistered cohabitation recognized.
Censorship of LGBT Issues in Poland is state-enforced.
Current status
State-enforced
Discrimination is illegal under the Polish Constitution. However, in practice the ruling government party has supported several Polish municipalities which have been declared "LGBT-free zones", and LGBT references are removed from broadcasts by state TV and film distributors.
Right to change legal gender in Poland is legal, but requires surgery.
Current status
Since Nov 17, 1964
Since Nov 17, 1964
Legal, but requires surgery
A medical diagnosis required, and individuals need to sue their parents in order to have their birth certificate changed. Under Polish law reassignment surgery can only take place after a person's gender has been legally changed.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Poland is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
Only male and female gender is legally recognised
LGBT discrimination in Poland is illegal in some contexts.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2003
Since Jan 1, 2003
Illegal in some contexts
LGBT housing discrimination in Poland is no protections.
Current status
No protections
The Polish act on equal treatment forbids discrimination based on sex, race, ethnic origin, nationality or religion with regard to publicly offered services, including housing. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not listed among protected grounds.
Serving openly in military in Poland is legal.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 1991
Since Jan 1, 1991
Legal
Since the 1990s, lesbian, gay and bisexual people are not banned from military service and discrimination against them is officially forbidden. However, openly gay personnel would face social difficulty, especially for higher ranks, as for "commanding staff - officers and high-ranking NCOs - admitting to same-sex attraction would mean losing respect - qualities without which you simply cannot be a commander".
-0001–-0001
Ambiguous
Although LGBTQ+ individuals are not barred, an "unwritten" Don't Ask Don't Tell is supposedly in their code.
Blood donations by MSMs in Poland is legal.
Current status
Legal
No restrictions about gay sex.
Conversion therapy in Poland is not banned.
Current status
Since May 12, 2015
Since May 12, 2015
Not banned
No laws in place. As well their is still the attitude that homosexuality is a disease. Conversion therapy ban pending.
Equal age of consent in Poland is equal.
Current status
Since Jul 11, 1932
Since Jul 11, 1932
Equal
Top Contributors
- PeterGalazka 6 contributions
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- raymondroca 1 contribution
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- equaldex 1 contribution
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Poland LGBT Organizations
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Alternative names: Polska (local name)
