Green Party leader Zack Polanski says ‘trans rights are human rights’ in Attitude 101 Trailblazer speech

Green Party leader Zack Polanski used his appearance at the Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley, to reflect on LGBTQ+ representation, politics and solidarity, after being recognised as a Trailblazer during the ceremony.

Revealed as Attitude’s Trailblazer of the Year 2026, the annual list represents industries as diverse as: Travel, supported by Booking.com; Future: 25 and Under, supported by Clifford Chance; Business; Financial & Legal; Media & Communications; Sport; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics); Film, TV & Music; Fashion; Art & Design; and Third Sector & Community. Each category showcases 10 remarkable individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and leadership in their areas of expertise.

Opening his speech at the Rosewood London event, Polanski thanked guests for a “gorgeous reception” and joked about his improvised approach to speaking.

“Other than feeling lovely, it starts to feel very absurd” – Zack Polanski on receiving the Trailblazer title

“I rarely write speeches beforehand because I usually like to look at an audience and just think what needs to be said right now,” he said, before recalling a conversation with Ian McKellen: “He said to me, ‘Well, what are you going to say in your speech?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know yet.'”

Reflecting on receiving the Trailblazer title, Polanski told the room: “Other than feeling lovely, it starts to feel very absurd.” Turning attention to his partner Richie, who works in palliative care, he added: “This isn’t just about Richie, it’s about the real trailblazers in this country, the nurses, the doctors, the healthcare people.”

He continued: “Our collective humanity – knowing that every single person, whether they’re a migrant, whether they’re unemployed, whether they’re running a big business… the contribution that these people are bringing to our society every single day.”

Thanking LGBTQ+ people living openly, he said: “To every single person in our National Health Service and to every single LGBT person being authentically themselves, at work, in public, and being proud, thank you.”

Polanski also reflected on growing up and seeing Attitude as a young person, telling attendees he remembered “always wanting that magazine”. He shared memories of school bullying, saying: “I used to go lock myself in the toilet cubicle for two hours because I didn’t want to face the bullying.”

“I knew it was going to be grim, but nothing prepared me for how dystopian it really was” – Polanski describing a visit to Calais

Speaking about visibility in politics, he said messages he received after appearing on stage with his partner at a political conference showed him “that’s the power of representation, and that’s again the power of storytelling.”

Referencing queer television, he thanked Russell T Davies and said seeing bold representation helped shape him: “To see queer representation be unapologetically authentic, be proud, and be bold… may be partly the person I am, partly the politician I am, and partly the leader I am.”

The speech later moved into more explicitly political territory as Polanski described a visit to Calais. “I knew it was going to be brutal. I knew it was going to be grim, but nothing prepared me for how dystopian it really was,” he said, describing migrants living in freezing conditions and facing repeated raids.

“People living in sub-zero temperatures in tents… every 48 hours the French police would come through, splash the tents, take people’s belongings, and cause terror and fear.” He criticised UK spending on border enforcement, telling the audience: “Our UK government is spending 267 million pounds on a three-year deal.”

Closing his speech, Polanski urged unity across LGBTQ+ communities and issued a warning to politicians

He also referenced arrests linked to Palestine Action protests, saying: “When I think about who the real trailblazers are, 2600 people in this country who have been arrested for standing with Palestine Action…” before quoting Raymond Williams: “To be truly radical is not to make despair likely, but to make hope possible.”

Closing his speech, Polanski urged unity across LGBTQ+ communities and issued a warning to politicians. “Throwing trans people under the bus just because you want to be liked by the right will never appease them,” he said.

“They will just get worse, more hateful, and more toxic.” He added: “We need to be clear, trans rights are human rights,” before calling for LGBTQ+ people to help shape policy directly: “We should be co-producing, co-designing policy… because friends, we all know when they come for one of us, they come for all of us.”