Hungary, Russia, China, Turkey, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Poland (etc) what do all these countries have in common? They’re all authoritarian states (or at least operate that way) with limited civil rights, with LGBTQ+ rights especially. Rights and protections for LGBTQ+ people are either non existent (and trying to be won) or are constantly in danger of being taken away. Out of all these countries, Poland is notorious for its so called LGBTQ+ free zones.
So much so, that openly gay Clément Beaune, French Secretary of State for European Affairs, has attempted to visit these zones. Unsurprisingly, he was denied entry, with authorities saying it was due to health concerns. Thankfully, for every evil, there is good. Poland’s deplorable zones has prompted the EU to declare its entirety as a LGBTQ+ Freedom Zone. The EU may not be perfect (that’s a trait any democratic government), but it certainly does care about human and civil rights.