PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Poland: LGBT+ People (20 July 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he will take with his European counterparts to help protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Poland following the election of President Duda; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by:
Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat)

The UK is implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination and committed to promoting and protecting the rights and freedoms of LGBT people in all circumstances. Our Embassy in Warsaw is working actively on this agenda: it is engaged in dialogue with both civil society and the Polish Government, as well as with our diplomatic partners. It will continue to work with the LGBT community in Poland to identify opportunities to tackle discrimination and promote inclusion.

The Embassy has established itself as one of the diplomatic missions in Warsaw that is most active on the LGBT agenda. During last year's Pride season, it brought the diplomatic community in Warsaw together to endorse a joint letter expressing support for LGBT equality and respect for human rights, which over 50 diplomatic missions signed. On 17 January, our Embassy in Warsaw hosted a roundtable on the role of business and NGOs in promoting LGBT+ rights. The roundtable brought together the Polish business and LGBT+ communities to discuss how to jointly build a more inclusive society. This year, the Embassy flew the rainbow flag over the weekend of 20/21 June as part of its activity to promote Pride month.

Answered by:
Wendy Morton (Conservative)
30 July 2020