Polish Activists Face Legal Action Over ‘Atlas of Hate’

Several Polish municipalities have announced that they plan to sue a group of activists who created an "Atlas of Hate" map, depicting municipalities covering one third of the territory of Poland that had passed resolutions that activists argue discriminate  against LGBT people.

The conservative legal group Ordo Iuris, which will offer legal assistance to the municipalities, announced the lawsuit on Tuesday during a press conference in Warsaw.

Representatives of at least seven municipalities were present, indicating that they would file the  defamation lawsuit, although a final list of participating municipalities has not been made public yet.

The map created by the activists says almost 100 Polish municipalities have adopted resolutions that are either "against LGBT ideology" or "pro-family", which the activists say are "discriminatory" against LGBT people.

Over 30 of the resolutions in question are based on a "Municipal Charter of Family Rights" sponsored by  Ordo Iuris.

The 'pro-family' resolutions do not explicitly refer to an "LGBT ideology" or even to LGBT people directly. Instead, the charter calls on municipalities to emphasise the protection of the traditional family - namely, heterosexual parents and their children - in all their policies, including school activities and the distribution of public funds, which fall under the remit of the municipalities.

Announcing the lawsuit, Ordo Iuris said it objected to municipalities adopting its Charter being placed on an "Atlas of Hate" map, under the headline "LGBT-free zones". It claims the "pro-family" resolutions are in line with the Polish Constitution, which calls for the protection of the family.

"The Charter of the Rights of the Family has been elaborated by Ordo...