The Paris Mayoral Election is All About LGBTQ+ Rights

The centre-right candidate in the Paris mayoral election has hit out at an alleged “gay conspiracy” against her.

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The French Minister for Culture, Rachida Dati, has accused fellow centrist candidate, Pierre-Yves Bournazel, and Renaissance party leader, Gabriel Attal, of plotting ‘a gay conspiracy’ against her. Dati claims Bournazel and Attal have formed a ‘group of homosexuals’ leading a smear campaign. Dati is a member of the centre-right traditional conservative party, Les Républicains.

Attal and Bournazel are affiliated with President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist bloc. Dati is outnumbered by Macron loyalists at the cabinet table, but she is campaigning hard to win the capital.

Dati’s opponents were quick to label her a homophobe. The frontrunner, Socialist candidate, Emmanuel Grégoire has made his support for gay rights a cornerstone of his campaign. His commitment to LGBTQ+ equality is front and centre in his policy proposals. Two high-profile gay politicians have backed Grégoire: Ian Brossat, a Communist, and David Belliard, a member of the Greens. Both were candidates in the mayoral race until they reached an agreement with the Socialists and endorsed Grégoire.

LGBTQ+ voters are an important demographic in Paris. A vast majority of Parisians support rainbow rights. The Marais is one of the world’s most famous gay districts. It’s been over ten years since then-President François Hollande legalised marriage equality. The change was backed by most Parisians at the time and continues to enjoy broad support.

Both frontrunners, Grégoire and Dati, have published social media content designed to appeal to LGBTQ+ Parisians. Grégoire’s posts are more direct. He consistently backs greater support and public services for the gay community. His policy plans include greater mental health funding and a plan to reduce harms associated with chemsex. Dati’s team published an Instagram reel where she can be seen walking around the Marais of an evening, smiling, meeting and greeting Parisians and local business owners. She doesn’t specifically mention LGBTQ+ people, but she acknowledges the importance of the night-time economy.

Le Nouvel Obs was the first publication to report Dati’s use of homophobic language. She is facing calls to explain her remarks.

The first round of elections is less than two weeks away.