The first and second rounds of the Regional Elections will be held on June 20th and 27th.
PRIDE MARSEILLE is in essence apartisan. It has worked and will always work with all elected democrats and republicans, whatever their political color, as long as they defend the values of living together and the rights of LGBTI+ people.
However, there are some "red lines" that we cannot accept, in particular that of the questioning of fundamental rights and that which would lead our associations to no longer be able to act correctly against discrimination and, in fact, to invisibilize those among us who need it the most, in particular the most precarious people in our community.
Faced with a worrying and unprecedented political situation in the Provence-Alps-Côte d'Azur region, Pride Marseille is once again forced to come out of its reserve. It urges voters, especially those from our community, to carefully consider the meaning they are about to give to their anger, and to carefully consider their votes.
PRIDE MARSEILLE would like to remind you of the recent remarks made by Mr. Thierry Mariani about the LGBTI+ community:
- On June 03, 2021, Thierry Mariani was a guest of the " 8h30 of France Info" . To the journalist who asked him "You're not going to cut grants to LGBT organizations in your Region?"Mr. Mariani replied: "I'm all for there being no discrimination, but I'm also against there being any promotion of any community whatsoever." To the reporter who asked him again, he said: "There is no reason for me to cut grants for associations if they fight against discrimination. On the other hand, if it's subsidies to fight for some kind of promotion of certain communities, whether it's the one you mentioned, or whether it's other communities, I was going to say of foreign origin, then yes we will cut the subsidies.".
- Similarly, during the debate of the Regional elections broadcast on France 3 Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur the Last June 9, on the subject of the subsidies granted to the LGBTI+ Pride events, Thierry Mariani declared, very embarrassed: "I reassure you that we will fund people or associations that do not necessarily share our opinions.
We would like to remind you that the work of our associations is neither communitarianism, nor lobbying, nor proselytizing:
- We are not advocating for any additional rights, we want equal rights.
- We are not advocating for a privileged place but for inclusion. We want our society to make room for all of us around the table, regardless of our differences.
- We militate for living together and for our gender identity and sexual orientation not to be elements of precarity or discrimination.
We want to make it clear that being a lesbian, gay, bi, trans or intersex person is not an opinion, let alone a choice. And even if it were a choice, we believe that each of us is free to love without risking insult, mockery or violence.
We would also like to remind you that PRIDE MARSEILLE and the LGBTI+ associations are not in any way involved in "promotion"We do not act as lobbyists to defend a particular interest or to preserve privileges, a term that we find very badly used against us by a politician in the middle of an election campaign. We do not act as lobbyists to defend a particular interest or to preserve privileges. Our activists work voluntarily and daily to improve the living conditions of LGBTI+ people: talking about "promotion" is a misunderstanding and a denial of the exemplary fieldwork of our peers.
Make the choice of National Gathering and the list carried by Thierry Mariani, it is to make a choice which opposes all the values and all the fights which are carried by the LGBTI+ community.
Make the choice of National Gathering and the list carried by Thierry Mariani is to accept to entrust our region for the next 6 years to elected officials who deny and reject our struggles, our demands, and the work of our associations for "to make Society".
For all these reasons, PRIDE MARSEILLE is exceptionally coming out of its reserve and calling on the voters of the Region Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur to go massively to the polls on June 20th and 27th, to measure the stakes of this election, and to vote for the lists which carry the values of living together and of the Republic.