By Paulina Trzcinska
While the US celebrates Pride Month, the LGBT+ community in Poland is not feeling as festive. As a Polish citizen, I have witnessed first-hand the situation for the LGBT+ community in Poland continue to worsen.. According to the Rainbow Index, Poland takes 42nd place among 49 European countries in terms of equal rights for LGBT+ community. Currently, the Polish government rejects equal rights for LGBT+ people and this has influenced many public institutions, private businesses and regular people. Many LGBT+ activists are subject to social and judiciary prosecution for protesting in anti-government marches. Many non-heteronormative young people are also discriminated in schools and among peers. But what is worst, many of them are also rejected by their own families.
That is why the Adduco European team is proud to support the work of the Stonewall Group. Its members are not only actively fighting for the rights of LGBT+ people on the Polish streets and in the government halls, but also organize day-to-day free psychological consultations accessible to hundreds of people in need. Headquartered in Poznań, Poland, the association opened its first hostel in the city for LGBT+ people who became homeless after coming out. It’s worth mentioning it is the second only such entity in Poland after Warsaw. Stonewall Groups runs five different support groups aimed at young people, the transgender community and parents of LGBT+ people.
As part of the Summer Equality Academy, the Stonewall volunteers travel to smaller towns to promote reliable knowledge about equality and the LGBT+ community. They dispel the myths and challenge stereotypes while offering anti-discrimination courses and training for schools and businesses. This year they plan on training 100 teachers to prepare them better to support non-heteronormative students. At the same time they intend on visiting the biggest companies and corporations in Poland to teach them how to create healthy and accepting work environments.
On top of all that, the Stonewall Group in Poznań organizes regular performances (like the Poznań Pride Parade), cooperates with local theatres and supports queer events. They also encourage members of LGBT+ community to take care of their health by organizing medical consulting and diagnostic support while offering reliable sexual education.
At Adduco we take LGBT+ rights very seriously and actively support associations like the Stonewall Group. Learn more and check how you can help to fight for equal human rights in Poland.
Photo Caption: Group image of the Stonewall Group at the newly opened hostel in Poznań, Poland. In the background, you can see the mural with Marsha P. Johnson, which is a symbol of LGBT+ fight for human rights from 1969.