No peace without rights: discrimination against LGBTQ persons as a barrier to the implementation of WPS commitments in Poland

In Poland, the 2020 Pride month coincided with the month of an electoral campaign ahead of the Presidential elections. The campaign was marked by frequent attacks on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Queer (LGBTQ) community – including the incumbent President’s statement that “LGBT are not people – it is an ideology”. As the country is experiencing a wave of protests denouncing the government’s anti-LGBTQ policies, and an arrest of a trans activist, Agnieszka Fal-Dutra Santos examines why the institutionalisation of homophobia and transphobia in Poland is a security issue, which undermines Poland’s ability to fulfil its Women and Peace and Security (WPS) obligations.