France’s Europe minister comes out as gay and pledges to travel to ‘LGBT-free’ towns in Poland

France's Europe minister Clément Beaune has pledged to travel to Poland to show support to LGBTQ communities facing discrimination 

Credit: BENOIT TESSIER/ AFP

France’s Europe minister Clément Beaune has pledged to travel to Poland to show support to LGBTQ communities facing discrimination after coming as gay in an interview.

“I am gay, and I have no problem saying it,” Mr Beaune, 39, told Têtu magazine, prompted by a question on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer rights in Europe. He said he wanted to show his homosexuality was “not an obstacle” to becoming a minister.

Mr Beaune said he planned to visit early next year a Polish “LGBT-free” zone — a label adopted by  hundreds of Polish municipalities. In August, the Polish government offered financial aid to towns that had lost EU funding because of their intolerant stance.

He said he also planned to show support to a Polish abortion rights organisation.

“I wouldn’t want people to say I am fighting against ‘LGBT-free’ zones because I am gay,” said Mr Beaune, “It would be insulting to say I am leading that fight for myself.”

“However, as European affairs minister, I have an additional responsibility. I must fight for tolerance,” he added.

Mr Beaune is better known in the UK as the French minister who threatened to veto post-Brexit trade talks, notably over fishing rights, saying: "If there were a deal that isn’t good — which in our evaluation doesn’t correspond to those interests — we will oppose it. Yes each country has a veto, so it’s possible.”

Poland has faced wide criticism from other European countries for its treatment of the LGBTQ community over the last year.

In a memorandum released on 3 December, Council of Europe commissioner for human rights Duna Mijatovic said “homophobic statements by leading public figures” were creating an atmosphere of “hate and intolerance”.

In September, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen denounced the introduction of “LGBT free zones”, saying they have “no place” within the European Union — a “union where you can be who you are and love who you want – without fear of recrimination or discrimination”.

“Because being yourself is not an ideology. It’s your identity, and no one can ever take it away.

“So I want to be crystal clear – ‘LGBT-free zones’ are humanity free zones. And they have no place in our union.”