The town of Krasnik passed a symbolic resolution two years ago to eradicate what it claimed was LGBTQ ideology, whatever the hell that means. Plenty of people assumed that was a blanket ban on LGBTQ people, which wasn’t the case, but the message was clear: Openly LGBTQ people weren’t welcome in that community.

The New York Times‘ Andrew Higgins reports that the mayor now wishes he could take it all back:

Maybe the most telling consequence? Young people are getting the hell out of town, recognizing that they don’t want to grow up in a hateful place:

None of this happened because LGBTQ people were doing anything that needed to be stopped. The leaders in Krasnik simply followed the lead of the nation’s governing (conservative) Law and Justice party as well as the Catholic Church. And if you’re looking to right-wing politicians or bigoted religious institutions for advice on the future, no one should be surprised when the plan backfires.