French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced on Thursday that a position of “LGBT+ rights ambassador” 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 and promote LGBT+ rights around the world.”
Borne also announced the creation of a fund of 3 million euros to create 10 new LGBTQ+ centers, in addition to increasing the budget of the 35 existing centers, which organize events organized by LGBTQ+ organizations.
The move comes amid heavy criticism of President Emmanuel Macron’s government over the reshuffled appointment of two ministers who have spoken out against same-sex marriage in the past: Local Government Minister Caroline Cayeux and the Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu.
Cayeux was asked about her past remarks on French TV in mid-July, to which she replied that she ‘certainly stood by her words’ and defended herself by saying she had a lot of friends among “all these people”. She backtracked shortly after and apologized for her comments.
Following this incident, a hundred personalities, including those of the presidential majority, denounced Cayeux’s “homophobic remarks” in a column published by the Journal du Dimanche. Dozens of people gathered near the National Assembly in Paris on Tuesday to protest against his continued government.
Bechu commented Thursday on his vote against same-sex marriage in 2013, saying it was unwise to “look with the eyes of 2022 at the state of affairs 10 years ago”, and that his views had since changed.
The French Prime Minister announced the new role during a visit to an LGBTQ+ center in Orleans, on the 40th anniversary of the repeal of the law criminalizing same-sex relations in France.
Socialist Party senator Hussein Bourgi announced ahead of Borne’s visit that he would table a bill on Saturday providing for reparations for those convicted of homosexuality between 1942 and 1982.
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