Beyond the Parliament? Issue Salience and Advocacy Coalitions in Shaping Policy Responses to Anti-Lgbtqi Violence in Poland

This paper examines the contrasting development of policies aimed at countering violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity—commonly referred to as anti-LGBTQI hate crime—in Poland. Despite its reputation for illiberal and anti-LGBTQI politics, Poland distinguishes itself in Europe by offering advanced police hate crime training and being one of the first countries to monitor anti-LGBTQI hate crimes. This paper explores the paradox of recognising gender identity and sexual orientation in some aspects of policy and practice, despite the absence of corresponding criminal laws. Through a comparative analysis of the policymaking process, the paper identifies key factors that have enabled or hindered the integration of hate crime frameworks into law enforcement and criminal justice policies. Enablers include external criticism over failures to combat racism and extremism, international capacity-building efforts, and the framing of policy changes on hate crime as technical improvements. However, obstacles such as the politicisation of LGBTQI rights and the rise of the anti-gender movement have stalled the development of comprehensive laws against homophobia and transphobia. Drawing on documentary research and expert interviews, the paper employs policy learning frameworks to examine the role of advocacy coalitions and issue salience in shaping these outcomes. By focusing on Poland’s unique position, this paper contributes to the broader discussion of how gender diversity is either recognised or resisted in hate crime legislation and law enforcement, highlighting both progress and ongoing challenges in securing LGBTQI rights.