Tag: france gay rights

France to create LGBTQ+ envoy role amid backlash over ministers’ anti-gay statements

Emmanuel Macron’s government has been under fire over ministerial appointments. French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced Thursday that an “ambassador for LGBT+ rights” position will be created and filled before the end of the year. In a statement, Borne’s office said the ambassador will be responsible for “coordinating French diplomatic action to protect against discrimination… Read more »

French parliament bans LGBT+ conversion therapy

Countries including Brazil and Malta have already moved to ban practices that seek to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity Dec 14 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – France’s parliament voted on Tuesday to ban so-called conversion therapy, joining a handful of countries that have taken steps to outlaw practices that seek to change a… Read more »

France pays tribute to six-year-old resistance hero Marcel Pinte

Special Armistice Day ceremony lauds contribution of wartime courier who died in 1944 France has paid tribute to a six-year-old boy regarded as its youngest resistance hero, as part of the nationwide Armistice Day ceremonies in memory of those who died in the first and second world wars. In a special ceremony, the name of… Read more »

Rimbaud and Verlaine: France agonises over digging up gay poets

President Emmanuel Macron is under pressure to strike a blow for sexual diversity by ordering the “Pantheonisation” – interment at the national mausoleum in Paris – of two of France’s best-loved poets, Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine. A petition signed by 10 former culture ministers, as well as a long list of artists and intellectuals,… Read more »

French league game halted after homophobic banners unfurled

Nice, France – The French league game between Nice and Marseille was halted for several minutes during the first half Wednesday after Nice fans unfurled two banners with homophobic messages. One banner referred to Tuesday’s takeover of Nice by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, Britain’s richest man who is the owner of chemicals giant Ineos. The… Read more »

Love letter between nuns shows the true story of queerness in the Middle Ages

Exclusive: GSN speaks to Professor Erik Wade about historical queerness A professor at the University of Bonn in Bonn, Germany recently posted a love letter between two medieval nuns on Twitter. GSN covered the letter and how pure it was. In looking to learn more about the two women, and their possible love story, GSN… Read more »

Paris Gay Games a respite for oppressed athletes

Paris — The Gay Games which are under way in Paris are not just a chance to celebrate sport and diversity: they offer crucial respite to gay athletes forced to hide their sexuality in their home countries. Silenced In China Unable to share the truth about being gay with his family, 21-year-old Zhang Nan flew… Read more »

Tens of thousands attend Paris Gay Pride march

Tens of thousands of mainly young people flooded the streets of central Paris for the annual Gay Pride parade on Saturday, with plenty of exuberance but also calls to “carry on the struggle” against discrimination. The marchers wound their way through the French capital under the traditional rainbow colours of the LGBT community. Among the… Read more »

Tens Of Thousands March In Paris To Protest Gay Marriage

Opponents of France’s 2013 law extending marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples staged a march in Paris on Sunday, roughly six months before voters head to the polls to elect a new president. Organizers estimated the crowd at 200,000, while police said the number was closer to 24,000. Demonstrators carried signs which read “A… Read more »

Gay Pride march sparks French far-right row

A Gay Pride march in Paris Saturday has caused a row in France’s far-right National Front (FN), with some student supporters backing an event decried by a party vice-chairman. How gay friendly is gay Paris? (01 Jul 16) ‘Giving in to fear’: Anger as Paris gay pride cut back (30 Jun 16) “More than ever… Read more »

Air France faces revolt from gay cabin crew over flights to Iran

Air France is facing a rebellion from gay air stewards – who are refusing to fly on a new route to Iran. The company is launching a new route from Paris to Tehran, the capital of the reclusive state, with flights set to begin on April 17. However, the new route has been controversial with… Read more »

Gay imam helps young Muslims balance religion, sexuality

Marseille, France (AP) — Growing up in Algeria, Shaira had almost everything a young man could wish for. But he also had a big secret. In a land where homosexuality is still a crime and a sin, he was forced to live a secret life, hiding that he was gay from everyone — even his… Read more »

France to Lift Ban on Gay Men Donating Blood

Paris — France will lift a ban on blood donations by gay and bisexual men starting next year, officials announced Wednesday, joining a growing list of countries that have loosened or scrapped such restrictions, which many see as outdated vestiges of the 1980s AIDS crisis. “Giving one’s blood is an act of generosity and of… Read more »

Congrats! France’s first out gay MP gets married

A French Senator became the first out gay Parliamentarian to get married on Saturday. Luc Carvounas, a Senator, married his partner Stephane Exposito in Val-de-Marne on 11 July. The couple had entered a civil solidarity pact, or PACS, three years earlier. Exposito is the chief of staff to the Secretary of State for Women’s Rights… Read more »