THE European Union has been declared an LGBT “freedom zone” in what is seen as a rebuke to Poland and Hungary, where a growing number of regions have opposed the notion of equality.

The vote by MEPs on Thursday came about two years after Pulawy became the first municipality in Poland to declare itself an “LGBTIQ-free zone.”

More than 100 Polish regions have followed suit, cutting financial support to organisations promoting equality and discouraging support for members of the LGBT community.