French minister Clément Beaune refused access to Poland ‘LGBT-free’ zone
"It is a decision that I deplore" says Beaune, who is gay
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Pexels/Instagram/@clement.beaune
Clément Beaune says he has been refused access to one of the country’s so-called ‘LGBT-free’ zones.
A spokesperson for the French minister, who came out as gay last year, says authorities cited “difficulties of the health situation” for the block on Monday.
The move follows 39-year-old Beaune promising to fight state homophobia in Poland and Hungary after coming out.
“It is a decision that I deplore”
Beaune told French outlet L’Obs: “Polish authorities recently indicated to me that they weren’t capable of planning this visit, and I profoundly regret it. It is a decision that I deplore.”
A spokesperson for Beaune says Polish authorities said the visit to Kraśnik would “have been not well received given the difficulties of the health situation.”
Beaune continued: “If I decided to maintain my visit to Poland, it’s because another topic — just as important in my eyes — has emerged: that of women’s right to abortion.”
Poland has a near-total ban on abortion. According to the BBC, around 1,000 legal terminations are performed each year.
Poland’s LGBT-free zones are a group of at least 90 municipalities that have declared war on what they see as ‘gay propaganda.’ In 2019, Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, furthermore called Pride “travelling theatre”, adding that the law must be enforced to “regulate these matters.”
Beaune, the French Minister for European Affairs, shared his sexuality publicly in an interview with Tetu in December.
Read the Attitude April Style issue, out now to download and to order globally.
Subscribe in print and get your first three issues for just £1 each, or digitally for just over £1.50 per issue.
