STRASBOURG, FRANCE - The European Parliament on Wednesday blasted Poland for creating zones "free from any LGBTI ideology" and suggested closer attention should be paid as a result to EU grants destined for Warsaw.
Brussels has already criticized Poland's conservative government over plans to revamp its judicial system with court reforms which EU authorities fear will leave judges subject to political interference.
The EU assembly on Wednesday voted through by 463 votes to 107 a motion calling on Warsaw to "revoke all resolutions" by dozens of municipal authorities targeting gay, lesbian and transgender people.
Although the resolutions concerned are not legally binding, they call on local authorities to "abstain from any action encouraging tolerance of LGBTI persons and not to provide any financial assistance to NGOs working for equal rights," the assembly noted.
EU lawmakers also called on the European Union to "control use of all EU funds as a reminder ... that such funds should not be used for discriminatory ends."
Looking further afield, the assembly said it was "deeply concerned at the growing number of attacks on lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders and intersexuals in the EU by states, officials, national and local governments as well as politicians."
Lawmakers pointed to examples of homophobic language in recent electoral campaigns in Romania, Estonia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Hungary and also Poland.