WARSAW – Mateusz Czyczerski always feared he would be attacked for being gay in Poland and after his worst fears were realised six years ago, the 35-year-old decided to relocate to Germany. Two men and a woman cornered him in an underground passageway, shouted slurs and then punched him repeatedly in the stomach, before taking his wallet and phone. “Just my appearance or tone of voice could be enough for people to start harassing me,” the professional dancer said, explaining how he used to take taxis home after work in the western city of Wroclaw for fear of experiencing homophobic taunts or threats on public transport. Czyczerski, who moved to Germany in 2021, now lives in Cologne where he runs a support group for LGBTQ+ Poles who have also left the country.