8:25 p.m., July 16, 2022, amended to 11:12 p.m., July 16, 2022
From Philippe Besson to Jack Lang via Boris Cyrulnik, Michèle Rubirola or even several elected representatives from the majority, more than a hundred personalities denounce, in a text published by the JDD, the remarks of the Minister of Territorial Cohesion and Relations with local authorities, Caroline Cayeux. The latter, during the debates on the law opening up marriage to same-sex couples in 2013, had described marriage for all as “ a design that goes against nature “. Here is their forum:
“To all those people”
“July 14, National Day, celebrates the union of the nation around the values of the Republic: freedom, equality, fraternity. These values unite us all to defend the same ideal enshrined in our Constitution in its first article: “France is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic. It ensures equality before the law of all citizens without distinction of origin, race or religion. She respects all beliefs.”
How to accept the remarks made by the Minister in charge of Territorial Communities on the eve of the national holiday? How to accept that a member of the executive, whose first role is to ensure the application of the laws, can call “those people” French citizens? How not to see that, in his mind, they do not belong to the same category of citizens?
“
It is a question of defending not this or that community, but respect for the principle of equality and legality.
“
The question is not whether this new minister has, in her entourage, friends among “those people”, like a mask on her prejudices. She deliberately chose to maintain homophobic remarks: it is certainly reprehensible. And only a judge should decide that.
On the other hand, the question is to know if the government, in its duty of solidarity, validates the position of one of its members, and if the majority subscribes to its attitude. It is a matter of defending not such and such a community, but respect for the principle of equality and legality by a member of the government. We know that setting an example is more necessary than ever to maintain peaceful and constructive democratic debate.
His words hurt many of us personally, but above all they undermine our daily efforts to enforce republican principles in our territories. While the extremist and populist parties put the country, through their objective alliance, in a situation of permanent social tension, it is up to the elected officials who find themselves in the values of the Republic to work even more to unite, and not divide. The words of a minister, regardless of her protocol rank, have a symbolic force that often exceeds the legal force: her regrets would have had a real impact if they had had at least the force of sincerity.
“
The words of a minister, whatever her protocol rank, have a symbolic force that often exceeds the legal force.
“
Let us just remind him that homosexuality no longer constitutes a crime since August 4, 1982. Let us remind him of the words of the Keeper of the Seals at the time, Robert Badinter, before the National Assembly: “It is only time to take awareness of all that France owes to homosexuals.”
And since we are in this week of national holiday, we have a fraternal thought for all those who, among “these people”, will have paraded in front of the minister out of respect for their often heroic commitment in our armies to defend our values on the ground. territory and abroad, and despite the contempt it has shown them. We have a thought for all those who work, in the ministries, the public services of the State and the local authorities for which she is responsible, and even for her government colleagues who will have kept their dignity, despite the intimate wound that she will probably have revived. We think of all the families who will have gone, with their local elected officials, to salute our troops and the flag, despite the mortuary of another time that it brings to them. We are proud of all those who, by their dignified and discreet attitude, know how to serve the Republic better than her. »
The list of signatories:
1. Mikaël Agopiantz, gynecologist, lecturer in Nancy
2. Frédéric Aguilera, Mayor of Vichy
3. Saïd Aït-Ouaraz, Deputy Mayor of Anthony
4. Driss Aït-Youssef, Doctor of Public Law
5. Samia Badat-Karam, councilor from Paris
6. Quentin Bataillon, MP for the Loire
7. Aurélien Beaucamp, CSR Director
8. Christophe Beaugrand, journalist
9. Patty Beaumier, employee of the Ile-de-France Rassembly group
10. Arnaud Beaumont, president of Modem Isère
11. Florence Berthout, mayor of the 5th arrondissement of Paris
12. Philippe Besson, writer
13. Olivier Blond, regional councilor for Ile-de-France
14. Julie Boilot, former elected representative of Paris
15. Franck Boisselet, referent LREM Paris 12th
16. Benoît Bordat, MP for the Côte d’Or
17. Jean-Marc Borello, President of the SOS Group
18. Adrien Borne, writer
19. Frédéric Borriello, producer
20. Karim Bouamrane, mayor of Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine and vice-president of the department of Seine-Saint-Denis
21. Alix Bougeret, councilor for Paris, regional councilor for Ile-de-France
22. Antoine Boulay, President of Bien Commun Advisory
23. Doctor Michel Bourelly, president of an association for the fight against AIDS
24. Delphine Burkli, mayor of the 9th arrondissement of Paris
25. Doctor Hervé Cael, municipal and metropolitan councilor of Nice, administrator of GayLib
26. Pauline Caillat, former ministerial cabinet director
27. François de Cambiaire, lawyer
28. Yves-Marie Cann, former special adviser to Agnès Pannier-Runacher
29. Clémentine Charlemaine, General Delegate of Cinema for All
30. James Cheron, Mayor of Montereau-fault-Yonne, Vice-President of the Ile-de-France Region
31. Billy Chrétien, Departmental Councilor of Côte d’Or
32. Cédric Clech, Mayor of Tonnerre, Departmental Councilor of Yonne
33. Jérôme Courduriès, anthropologist, teacher-researcher at the University of Toulouse Jean Jaurès
34. Boris Cyrulnik, neuropsychiatre
35. Sarah Daninthe, Olympic medalist, data product manager
36. Florian Dautil, municipal councilor delegated to the city of Saint-Ouen
37. Michelle Dayan, lawyer
38. Sabrina Decanton, 1st deputy to the city of Saint-Ouen
39. Matthieu Delcambre, Deputy Mayor of Boutigny-sur-Essonne
40. Sophie Deschiens, deputy mayor of Levallois, regional councilor for Ile-de-France
41. Joël Deumier, former president of SOS Homophobia
42. Laurence Drake, general delegate of the foundation Act against exclusion (FACE)
43. Sébastien Dromigny, mayor of St Just en Brie (Seine-et-Marne), regional councilor of Ile-de-France
44. Sébastien Dulermo, 1st deputy mayor of the 9th arrondissement of Paris
45. Henry Dupas, president of the Young Radicals
46. Xabi Elizagoyen, deputy mayor of Rueil-Malmaison, departmental councilor of Hauts-de-Seine
47. Laurent Escure, general secretary of the UNSA
48. Sylvain Fort, former adviser to the President of the Republic
49. Philippe Foussier, vice-president of Secular Unit
50. Isabelle Froment-Meurice, 1st Deputy Mayor of Villiers Saint Benoit, Vice-President of the Department of Yonne
51. Mathieu Gallet, entrepreneur, president of Majelan.
52. Raphaël Gérard, MP for Charente-Maritime
53. Frédérick Getton, president and co-founder of Centr’égaux (association of LGBT+ centrists and democrats), member of the board of the MoDem Paris
54. Joël Giraud, deputy for Hautes-Alpes, former minister
55. Nicolas Gorjux, 1st Deputy Mayor of Cannes
56. Alex Goude, animator and director
57. Thierry Guerrier, journalist
58. David Guillerm, president of Democrats for the Planet, member of the MoDem
59. Thierry Hebbrecht, regional councilor for Ile-de-France
60. Serge Hefez, psychiatrist
61. Eléonore Heuzé, press officer
62. Antoine Hoareau, deputy mayor of Dijon, vice-president of Dijon metropolis
63. Christian Honoré, councilor of the 18th arrondissement of Paris
64. Pascal Houzelot, founder of PINK TV and the Isota association
65. Fabrice Hyber, visual artist, member of the Academy of Fine Arts
66. Aurélie Jean, doctor of science and entrepreneur
67. Vincent Jeanbrun, Mayor of L’Haÿ-les-Roses, President of the Ile-de-France group gathered at the Ile-de-France Regional Council
68. Fabien Joly, lawyer, spokesperson for the ADFH
69. Patrick Karam, Vice-President of the Ile-de-France Region
70. Pierre Karleskind, MEP
71. Jack Lang, President of the Arab World Institute
72. Yann-Maël Larher, municipal councilor of Boulogne-Billancourt, deputy president of GayLib
73. José Lévy, designer
74. Ronan Loas, mayor of Plœmeur, vice-president of the departmental council of Morbihan
75. Emilie Lopez, journalist
76. Sophie Lorant, former ministerial adviser
77. Jean-Pierre Lecoq, mayor of the 6th arrondissement of Paris
78. Vincent Leclercq, NGO leader
79. Pierre Lungheretti, Deputy Director of the National Theater of Chaillot
80. Eric Maillard, producer
81. Vincent Malard, collaborator of David Belliard (deputy mayor of Paris)
82. Ambroise Méjean, President of Youth with Macron (JAM)
83. Anne-Louise Mesadieu, deputy mayor of Chaville, regional councilor for Ile-de-France
84. Catherine Michaud, president of GayLib, regional councilor for Ile-de-France
85. Nelson Monfort, journalist
86. Romain Mouton, president of the Cercle de Giverny
87. Jean Nainchrik, producer
88. Sarah Nerozzi-Banfi, deputy mayor of Herblay, general secretary of the Île-de-France Rassembly group
89. Arnaud Ngatcha, Deputy Mayor of Paris
90. Rachid Ouramdane, director of the national theater of Chaillot
91. Francois Ouzilleau, Mayor of Vernon
92. Anne-Valérie Payet, actress, screenwriter, director
93. Sarah Persil, Vice-President of the Bourgogne Franche Comté Region
94. Béatrice Picon-Vallin, research director at the CNRS
95. Brigitte Pistre, Mayor of Frazé
96. Olivier Ponsoye, association leader
97. Yannick Prioux, head of patient association
98. Guillaume Rivalland, co-founder of Trait d’Union (association of progressive and republican collaborators)
99. Jean-Luc Romero, Deputy Mayor of Paris, President of Elected Locals Against AIDS
100. Michèle Rubirola, 1st Deputy Mayor of Marseille
101. Virginie Salmen, co-founder of ViensSeeMonTaf
102. Gilles Schmidt, municipal councilor of Rambouillet, president of the Radical Party 78
103. Georges Sérignac, Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France
104. Albin Serviant, CEO I/O Media, publishing director of TÊTU
105. Michel Simon, president of Artemuses
106. Camille Simonet, head of feminist association
107. Bertrand Sirven, former deputy chief of staff of Bruno Le Maire
108. Camille Spire, president of AIDES
109. Jean Spiri, vice-president of CRIPS
110. Benoît Solès, author, actor, regional councilor for Ile-de-France
111. Chrystel Sombret, deputy chief of staff of the Ile-de-France Rassembly group
112. Nicolas Soret, Mayor of Joigny, Vice-President of the Bourgogne Franche Comté region
113. Alexandra Szpiner, regional councilor for Ile-de-France
114. Irène Théry, sociologist
115. Chenva Tieu, founder of the Talks of Excellence
116. Nathalie Tortrat, Mayor of Gouvernes, Regional Councilor for Ile-de-France
117. Guillaume Trichard, deputy general secretary of the UNSA
118. Catherine Tripon, spokesperson for L’Autre Cercle
119. Catherine Tronel, Mayor of Argentenay, Departmental Councilor of Yonne
120. Aurélien Véron, Councilor of Paris
121. Gérald-Brice Viret, media director
122. Alexandre Urwicz, President of the ADFH
123. David Valence, deputy of the Vosges
124. Manuel Valls, former Prime Minister
125. Henri van Melle, association president
126. Yann Wehrling, Vice-President of the Ile-de-France Region
127. Ariel Weil, Mayor of Paris Center
128. David-Xavier Weiss, 1st deputy mayor of Levallois, departmental councilor of Hauts-de-Seine
129. Sébastien Zonghero, municipal councilor of Saint-Ouen
—
