Exploring Anti-Black Racism in the Gay Community: The French Perspective
The latest recent data from the French Ministry of the Interior indicates that 12,500 formal reports of “racist, xenophobic, or anti-religious nature” were made in France in 2021. Compared to 2019, there has been a 13% rise in crimes and offenses and a 26% increase in penalties. Only 25% of victims of physical violence and racial threats and 5% of victims of verbal abuse, according to the ministry, reported their experiences between 2013 and 2018.
Over 1.2 million persons are said to have been the victims of acts of racial abuse or violence annually throughout this time. LGBT organizations argue that because many victims choose not to disclose crimes to the police, the statistics do not provide a whole picture. It’s time for the SOS Homophobia Association to release its own statistics.
Understanding Anti-Black Racism
The increase follows 2018’s designation as a “black” year due to correlations with an unprecedented degree of physical violence against LGBT individuals. The new statistics, which demonstrate a consistent rise in offenses, are released 30 years after the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from its list of mental diseases and on the eve of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia.
The situation was deemed “alarming” by the French National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH). Based on the historical data provided by CNCDH, it appears that although French society is becoming more tolerant, there are still “certain racist, anti-Semitic, and xenophobic biases that remain strong and, above all, their manifestation is renewed, diversified, and even intensified.” Strong action is anticipated in response to the brutal murder of three Kurds in the center of Paris on December 23, for which a racial purpose was established (though some doubts about the act’s political motivations still exist). This incident serves as a reminder of how serious the situation is.
Prevalence in Social Settings
According to Sophie Elizéon, director of the interministerial delegation for the battle against racism, anti-Semitism, and anti-LGBT hatred (DILCRAH), “what is being reported from the ground is the exacerbation of unabashed behavior.”
She conveyed that as French society progresses towards equality, certain individuals, primarily white males in their 50s, are increasingly defensive, resorting to violence. With over 900 NGOs operating around the nation, the DILCRAH delegation is relying on financial and educational help to effectively address the situation. Elisabeth Borne, the prime minister of France, is scheduled to unveil a new action plan led by the DILCRAH . According to Elizéon, the initiative would concentrate on three primary areas: assisting in defining the problem, determining the scope of the problem, and offering improved training and education to dispel preconceptions.
Media Representations and Cultural Norms
Despite certain “serious concerns,” France’s political reaction in recent years has generally been encouraging, according to the independent European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe. The ECRI voiced concerns about the “trivialization of hate speech” in France in a study released in September 2022, saying that it was “particularly in the political sphere, as well as in the audiovisual media and on social networks.” It is anticipated that the strategy would provide training on these topics to all members of the civil service in order to better identify and address anti-Romani prejudice and ethnic discrimination. In cooperation with the Ministries of the Interior and Justice, additional sanctions are anticipated to be implemented. Priority concerns in the previous National Plan (2018-2020) were enhanced victim attention, training for educators, and internet hate material.
Boycott Paris Olympics 2024: Addressing Racism and Safety Concerns
The call for boycotting the Paris Olympics 2024 resonates deeply with concerns about racism and safety in France. Amidst growing reports of racial violence and state surveillance, activists urge international visitors to abstain from attending the event. The boycott aims to pressure the French government to address systemic issues of police brutality and human rights violations.
Wrap Up
In conclusion, Many fear that African Americans’ progress in higher education may now halt as a result of the Supreme Court’s ruling that Harvard’s race-based admission criteria was unlawful. However, as noted by African American author Bertrand Cooper prior to the ruling: “The truth is that a world without affirmative action is just the world as it is – no different than before for the Black poor.” The difference between these two strategies has frequently been interpreted as being between Anglo-Saxon multiculturalism and French assimilationism; the former is “based on the rights of ethnic minorities, of communities,” while the latter is “based on individual rights.” In 1991, Marceau Long, the president of France’s Haut Conseil à L’Intégration, stated that the Anglo-Saxon strategy was “another way of imprisoning people within ghettos,” in contrast to the French strategy.
