Reimagining Double Consciousness Beyond the Colour Line: A Study on the Polish LGBT-Free Z*nes using Online Semi-Structured Interviews and Mental Mapping

Drawing on online semi-structured interviews and mental mapping, this article examines the so-called LGBT-Free Z*nes in Poland. It offers two main contributions. First, it shows how LGBTQ+ participants interpret these zones and how their subjectivities enable them to negotiate the workings of state-sanctioned LGBTQ+phobia. Second, by mobilizing the Du Boisian notion of double consciousness, the article elucidates the dynamic of this negotiation and demonstrates how Du Bois' work on marginal subjectivities can inform future sociological research in Central and Eastern Europe by considering the region's historically subordinate position within Europe's racialised order. In addition, the article reflects on the methodological potential of mental mapping, highlighting its usefulness for capturing more vulnerable subjectivities of those living under conditions of institutionalised exclusion.