Ambassadors pen letter praising LGBTQI community

A group of 46 ambassadors and international diplomats in Poland have signed an open letter expressing their support for the country’s LGBTQI community.

The letter was presented by US Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski on Tuesday.

"On the occasion of Pride Month, we express our support for the efforts to raise public awareness of issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) community and other communities in Poland facing similar challenges," reads the letter.

LGBT rights have become a sensitive subject in Poland with critics of the government accusing it of fostering an intolerant attitude towards sexual minorities. Some municipalities in Poland have declared themselves as "LGBT free" zones, and efforts to hold equality marches have met resistance.

In their letter, the diplomats acknowledged the efforts of the organisers of equality parades and marches in many Polish cities.

"This year, we also acknowledge the LGBTQI+ community's contributions to supporting those fleeing the war in Ukraine as an integral part of Polish society," the ambassadors wrote.

The document also emphasized the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the role of the inherent dignity of each individual.

"Respect for these fundamental rights, which are also enshrined in OSCE commitments and the obligations and standards of the Council of Europe and the European Union as communities of rights and values, obliges governments to protect all citizens from violence and discrimination and to ensure they enjoy equal opportunities," the authors of the letter said.

"To this end and, in particular, to shield communities in need of protection from verbal and physical abuse and hate speech, we need to jointly work on an environment of non-discrimination, tolerance, and mutual acceptance," the diplomats concluded.