“Don’t be afraid,” Rachida Dati told the world of culture during the transfer of power, while Rima Abdul Malak claims to have “remained free”

The entry into government of Catherine Vautrin, appointed head of a ministry extended to work, health and solidarity, is a “bad signal” for the defense of the rights of LGBT people, reacted this evening from associations, which expressed their “deep concerns”.

“We are extremely worried, because this person, through his positioning, has fueled homophobia”Joël Deumier, co-president of SOS Homophobia, told Agence France-Presse.

Catherine Vautrin voted in 2013 against the law opening marriage to people of the same sex and participated at the time in La Manif pour tous. In 2023, she expressed her regret over this vote, believing that she had “missed this meeting which has now become obvious” and qualifying as “very good thing” Marriage for all.

Rachida Dati, appointed minister of culture, had, for her part, warned in 2019 against a risk of “fracture” of society with the opening of PMA (medically assisted procreation) to all women. She also abstained in a 2018 vote in the European Parliament on banning “conversion therapy”these practices which claim ” heal “ LGBT people.

For Mr. Deumier, the difference between ” the symbol “ the appointment of Gabriel Attal to Matignon, the first head of government to publicly discuss his homosexuality, and “the entry of figures openly hostile to LGBT rights” has the effect of a ” cold shower “.

“This is not a positive signal, it raises questions”adds Maxime Haes, spokesperson for Stop Homophobia. “We are not in a government where the fight against LGBTphobia and discrimination is something important”he added. “What we are waiting for are actions and for the government to become aware of the extent of the phenomenon of violence” suffered by LGBT people.

On X, the environmentalist deputy to the mayor of Paris David Belliard, for his part, estimated that “hit rock bottom” with the new government casting. “Catherine Vautrin campaigned against marriage for all (…) We thought the Manif pour tous was over. Well no, Macron managed to resurrect it”he wrote.