LGBTQ+ News Two women ordered to pay €8,000 in damages after claiming ‘France’s first lady’ Brigitte Macron is trans Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanual Macron, has been awarded €8,000 in damages after two women made claims ‘France’s first lady’ is transgender. Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey had posted a YouTube video in December 2021 alleging the French president’s wife had once been a man named Jean By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Sport French athlete Dimitri Pavadé comes out as gay after competing at the Paris Paralympics French athlete Dimitri Pavadé, who represented his home country at this year’s Paralympics in Paris, has come out as gay following his fourth-place finish in the men’s long jump. Pavadé, who won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games, returned to the men’s long jump T64 classification final, where h By Graham Robson • 2 min read
International News Critics cast aspersions on appointment of new French Prime Minister Michel Barnier for twice voting against gay rights in France French media and some political opponents have cast aspersions on the appointment of new French Prime Minister Michel Barnier who, while serving in parliament in 1981, was among 155 lawmakers who voted against a law decriminalising homosexuality. Back in 1981, the 30-year-old lawmaker, who took over By Graham Robson • 1 min read
International News French President Emmanuel Macron accused of “stigmatising trans people” French President Emmanuel Macron is under fire after accusing the New Popular Front, a left-wing alliance built for the upcoming legislative elections, of promoting “completely crazy things, like going to the town hall to change your sex.” The New Popular Front’s manifesto includes a proposal to “au By Graham Robson • 1 min read
International News Thousands demonstrate in French cities at what they called an “offensive” against trans rights Thousands of demonstrators protested in French cities on Sunday, May 5 at what they called an “offensive” against transgender rights after lawmakers drafted a proposed bill of law that is scheduled to be debated on May 28. Activists, left-wing members of parliament, trade unionists and young people By Graham Robson • 1 min read
International News French Parliament votes to compensate victims of anti-gay laws The lower house of the French Parliament has passed a bill which will provide recognition and compensation for the estimated 10,000 people – mostly gay men – convicted of homosexuality between 1942 and 1982. The anti-gay law was originally introduced by the Vichy government during World War Two, wh By Graham Robson • 1 min read
International News French President Emmanuel Macron appoints Gabriel Attal as France’s first openly gay Prime Minister French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Education Minister Gabriel Attal as France’s first openly gay Prime Minister. Attal lives in a civil union with Stéphane Séjourné, a member of the European Parliament for La République En Marche. During his political career, Attal received antisemitic a By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Sport Footballers in French football league refuse to play anti-homophobia match Toulouse’s Zakaria Aboukhlal and Nantes’ Mostafa Mohamed were omitted from the teamsheet for a French football league Ligue 1 clash between the two clubs on Sunday, May 14 after refusing to participate in a campaign against homophobia, which saw all teams in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 wearing shirts with n By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Exhibitions All You Need Is Love: Romain Berger’s provocative photography to be exhibited at the Ledward Centre The All You Need Is Love exhibition will be at the Ledward Centre from 5pm on Monday, May 15 until Wednesday, June 21 By Contributor • 2 min read
Features & Longread Elska shares intimate images and honest stories from Gay Paris Elska Magazine, a publication dedicated to sharing the bodies and voices of LGBTQ+ communities around the world, has put the spotlight on Paris for its latest issue. By Graham Robson • 3 min read
LGBTQ+ News Chris Jepson’s ‘The Identity Project’ goes global! Do you have LGBTQ+ friends or contacts in France? Chris need participants who can get to Paris between March 27 – 31 to come and sit for him. By Graham Robson • 1 min read
LGBTQ+ News COLUMN: Traveller’s Tales: Where will we go to this year? The world has cautiously opened up again and we can go almost anywhere including of course our closest friend, France. With all French government pronouncements there always has to be a health warning as they are quite capable of closing their frontiers at a moment’s notice without much warning. The By Roger Wheeler • 3 min read
A Pride parade in Paris General News France bans conversion therapy Shortly after Canada issued a ban on LGBTQ+ conversion therapy, France has also outlawed the highly controversial practice. By Rachel Badham • 1 min read
General News France moving to ban conversion therapy France is likely to outlaw LGBTQ+ conversion therapy after the country’s National Assembly voted unanimously to pass Bill 673 on Tuesday. By Rachel Badham • 1 min read
General News France sees surge in anti-LGBTQ+ violence During Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020, France saw an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ violence within families. By Rachel Badham • 1 min read
General News French minister urges legal action over Poland’s LGBTQ+ free zones Clément Beaune has urged the EU to take legal action over Poland’s rising number of ‘LGBTQ+ free’ zones. By Rachel Badham • 2 min read
General News Pierre Cardin dead at 98 Openly gay French fashion designer Pierre Cardin, known for his unique and revolutionary creations, has been pronounced dead at 98. By Rachel Badham • 2 min read
Students paying tribute to their classmate General News French students protest for trans rights Over 100 students gathered in at the entrances of Fenelon High School in Lille, France to pay tribute to a 17-year-old trans classmate, Fouad, who committed suicide. By Rachel Badham • 2 min read
General News French government unveils plan to protect LGBTQ+ citizens The French government has created a plan to combat the growing prejudice and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community which involves more inclusive education and national efforts to tackle homophobia and transphobia. By Rachel Badham • 2 min read
Arts REVIEW: Right Beside You – films from New Queer Visions Brian Butler finds companionship is the recurrent theme in five new queer films By Brian Butler • 2 min read
