Words that do not pass. Two deputies from the ranks of Nupes, Ségolène Amiot (La France insoumise, LFI) and Marie-Charlotte Garin (Europe Ecologie-Les Verts, EELV) arrested on Tuesday July 19, during questions to the government in the Hemicycle, Elisabeth Borne on the presence of ministers who “chain homophobic and sexist statements” in his government. Mme Amiot even asked that they be removed from the government, telling the Prime Minister: “I expect you to fire your homophobic ministers. »
The two elected officials were referring to the remarks made, in 2013 and last week, by the new Minister of Territorial Communities, Caroline Cayeux, on the marriage of people of the same sex, which they described as“homophobic”.
“I am one of those people”
Ségolène Amiot first challenged the Prime Minister – absent from the Hemicycle but represented by the rest of the government – by affirming: « Mme Prime Minister, I am one of those people. » A reference to the expression “I have many friends among these people”, formulated by Mr.me Cayeux last week on LCP, to qualify same-sex couples and denounce the “bad trial” in homophobia addressed to him.
During this interview, the minister also said “maintain obviously” her remarks made in 2013 during debates on marriage for all, when she was a senator, calling the reform a « caprice », and which, according to her, would lead to “a disrespectful and senseless opening of rights”. She finally apologized at the end of last week, under pressure from public opinion and several ministers.
“In two years, LGBTphobic attacks have increased by 20%” et “the ground of homophobia is too often refused by the police”too little trained on the subject, said Ms. Amiot. “But how can you blame them when the government is far from being exemplary? How can you blame them when several others chain homophobic and sexist statements? », she continued, citing as an example the Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, that of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, ” and of course [la ministre des collectivités territoriales Caroline] Cayeux who always affirms his contempt for homosexuals”.
In 2013, during the discussions on the law for marriage for all, Christophe Béchu had written a column in the conservative weekly Current Values against the reform, when Mr. Darmanin had declared that he would not marry same-sex couples in his town hall of Tourcoing. Mr. Béchu also had HIV prevention posters banned in 2016 “ located near schools in his city of Angers.
Caroline Cayeux “apologized” defends the government
“You are targeting ministers, you are particularly targeting a minister, she apologized and today she is fully at work alongside Elisabeth Borne”however, replied Isabelle Rome, Minister Delegate in charge of equality between women and men and diversity, under the boos of the left.
“When it comes to the fight against LGBTphobia, we have nothing to be ashamed of”she said, before arguing: “Who opened PMA to all women, who banned conversion therapy, who changed blood donation (…)is the parliamentary majority! » Mme Rome also announced to bring together ” in September “ the follow-up committee « plan LGBT » government, launched by his predecessor Elisabeth Moreno.
Regarding the words of Caroline Cayeux, “It’s not a clumsiness, it’s a crime”however, rebounded the ecologist deputy Marie-Charlotte Garin, a few moments after her colleague from the benches, also qualifying “ the words of M.me Cayeux for what they are: homophobic remarks”. Also returning to the past remarks of other ministers, she thus challenged the Prime Minister, launching: « Mme Borne, how can you name “those people” in your government? »
It was Olivier Véran, government spokesman, who responded this time. The ex-socialist argued the battle of the left in 2013 to get the marriage law for all passed in parliament, facing “other parliamentarians who may have had words that could hurt”, “sometimes virulent”.
“Today, with ten years of hindsight, ten years of happiness for thousands of families, for thousands of children, I think that the positions of deputies, who at the time were opposed, have evolved well because, in the face of happiness, we can only see that we were wrong to want to oppose it “, he estimated.
And “some words can hurt, can offend”, “we must be careful not to pronounce them, or even more, we must be careful not to think them “, admitted the minister. But on the benches of the Assembly and in particular “ of the government “ et “of the majority deputies”, “we have one thing in common: the fierce desire to develop our society so that it reflects all its diversity, all its richness”, pleaded Mr. Véran. “There are no ‘those people’, there are women and men who ask nothing more than to be respected and let live” he concluded.