A homophobic slippage during the 2020 municipal campaign in Toulouse has just been condemned by the courts. On June 26, 2020, a few days before the second round, a collaborator of the municipal majority, therefore a supporter of the outgoing mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc (ex-LR), had let go in a Facebook post. Commenting on the interview with François Piquemal, then a member of the environmentalist list led by Anthony Mauricethe defendant had estimated that this candidate was “as ugly as [sa] top of the list tarlouze “.
Antoine Maurice then filed a complaint for public insult due to sexual orientation.
A tense campaign does not justify everything
These “comments, which degenerated into a personal attack, cannot be justified by a political controversy or any climate of tension specific to the electoral campaign then in progress”, considered the Paris Criminal Court. He sentenced the too fervent activist to a suspended fine of 500 euros and to pay 800 euros in compensation for moral damage to his victim.
Tewfik Bouzenoune, Antoine Maurice’s lawyer, welcomes a decision which “demonstrates the concern to effectively repress homophobic insults which have neither their place in political debate nor in electoral campaigns”.
After the controversy created by this message, the defendant had been laid off by the Toulouse Ensemble group of the outgoing mayor. Jean-Luc Moudenc was re-elected in stride.