"Yes, my roommate is a lesbian", "Yes, my granddaughter is trans"… A municipal councilor from Versailles described as "propaganda" posters of a campaign by Public Health France against LGBTphobia , demanding their removal.
"Sexual and family situations that should not be promoted or encouraged". In Versailles, a diverse right-wing municipal councilor calls for the censorship of a campaign by Public Health France against homophobic discrimination. Céline Jullié believes that "these propaganda posters (sic) challenge the youngest, and force parents to address delicate subjects in spite of themselves and in the public sphere". Since Friday, May 28, spotted the site actu.fr, this former candidate of the movement of Nicolas Dupont-Aignan in the regional of 2015, then in the legislative elections of 2017 du micro-parti souvenainiste SIEL, demands of the mayor of Versailles that he withdraw the visuals.
"Yes, my father is gay"
In question, five anti-discrimination posters that display several messages of pride: "Yes, my father is gay", "Yes, my friend is gay", "Yes, my granddaughter is trans", "Yes, my roommate is lesbian", "Yes, my granddaughter is trans". Behind these messages, the posters simply show two people embracing each other, with the subtitle: “In the face of intolerance, it is up to us to make a difference”. In short, a very classic campaign against LGBTphobia, while SOS homophobia still reports 1,815 testimonies of intolerance in 2020 and the Ministry of the Interior has identified in this pandemic year no less than "1,590 victims of crimes or offenses of a homophobic or transphobic nature".
But between two tweets promoting Didier Raoult or Donald Trump, the city councilor seriously argues that this campaign aims "to control thought". "Sexuality is a private matter which concerns everyone in their intimacy. The majority of people share this opinion and do not display their intimate life (sic) in the public space", develops this supporter of La Manif pour tous and... teacher. When Santé Publique France calls for tolerance towards LGBTQI+ people, Céline Jullié therefore believes that "public money is misappropriated to serve the interests of a community".
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Contacted by TÊTU, the municipality was not available to comment. The mayor, François de Mazières, opposed marriage for all in 2013. He is now opposed to PMA for all.
A precedent in 2016
This is not the first time that an awareness campaign has been targeted by the right. In 2016, an awareness campaign warned about sexually transmitted infections (STIs). At the time, the city's Les Républicains mayor, Bruno Beschizza, called the images "shocking", attempting to censor them to "protect children".
Several elected officials described the approach as "homophobic" and were then sued by the mayor for "defamation". The Court of Cassation agreed with them four years later, dismissing the mayor of Aulnay-sous-Bois in early April who attacked local elected officials. He had to pay the elected officials 2,500 euros in damages.
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Photo credit: Public Health France
