News: Elysée candidates invited to the Folies Bergères

Last Saturday, the Folies Bergère, in the context of the Inter-LGBT conference, invited candidates for the French presidential election to present their proposals for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Only representatives of the National Fund were not invited, since, according to an LGBT spokesperson, "discrimination remains the core business of this party.".

From the outset, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Éva Joly were the only candidates to appear in person on the stage of the famous Parisian theater. The organizers from the Socialist Party, however, asserted that François Hollande would have attended had he not been detained in Réunion for a rally.

As for the presidential candidate, his representative was booed by the audience. Many recalled that Nicolas Sarkozy had promised in 2007 to create "a same-sex civil union that would not be registered at the local court, but at the town hall," a promise he failed to keep. Furthermore, during the current campaign, Mr. Sarkozy has clearly stated his refusal to extend marriage to all couples, nor to adoption.

In contrast, most of the left-wing presidential candidates agreed to recognize the right of homosexuals to marry and adopt. Jean-Luc Mélenchon admitted to having changed his position on these issues. The Socialist candidate stated that, if elected, "a law would be passed to this effect no later than spring 2013." François Hollande's commitments on subjects such as the fight against homophobia and transphobia, the status of co-parents, and others were also mentioned. As for Éva Joly, she was very successful in reminding everyone that the first same-sex marriage was officiated by Noël Mamère, a Green Party member, and she spoke unequivocally in favor of equal rights.