Lhe Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, announced on Thursday August 4 that an “ambassador for LGBT+ rights” will be appointed “before the end of the year” as well as “the creation of a fund of three million euros to create ten new LGBT+ centres”, in addition to the 35 existing ones.
The head of government spoke during a visit to the LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bi, trans) center in Orléans, on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the repeal of discrimination between heterosexual and homosexual relationships introduced in the Penal Code by the Vichy regime. This ambassador “will coordinate the action of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs for the protection against discrimination and the promotion of LGBT + rights and will carry the voice of France”, indicated Élisabeth Borne, in particular to defend “universal decriminalization of homosexuality and transidentity”.
The Prime Minister also praised “the exemplary work of LGBT+ associations and centers”, “identifiable and accessible entry points for many people who do not know where to turn” and who, last year, “have helped nearly 6,000 people across our country.” The fund of three million euros should enable the creation of ten new centers, so that there are at least two centers in each region of France and at least one center in each overseas region.
“The battle of mentalities is not yet won”, warned Élisabeth Borne, noting that “anti-LGBT + hatred continues to exclude, hurt and even sometimes kill”.
“The introduction of discrimination into the law was a fault”
Asked about Minister Caroline Cayeux, who had caused an uproar in mid-July, in particular for having designated homosexuals by the formula “those people”, the head of government deplored “hurtful expressions”, but hammered that ‘there was “no ambiguity about the commitment of all the members of [son] government, who share the same vision of a progressive society”.
Regarding a bill brought by PS Senator Hussein Bourgi seeking reparation for people convicted of homosexuality between 1942 and 1982, the Prime Minister said that she “hears it[ait] and that she was going to “watch” her. “It’s not a simple subject to know how to repair wounds that may have been caused by discrimination”, she pointed out, considering “it is already important to note that the introduction of discrimination in the law had been wrongful, and to salute and commemorate the repeal of these provisions”.
The Vichy regime had introduced discrimination between heterosexual relations – the sexual majority then being set at 15 years – and homosexual relations, penalized if one of the partners was a minor (at the time, 21 years old). Discrimination remained in force when the age of majority was lowered to 18 in 1974, before the left repealed it in 1982 and aligned sexual majority at 15, regardless of the sex of the partners.
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