“Words must be followed by action”demanded Marlène Schiappa, Secretary of State for the Social and Solidarity Economy and Community Life, Friday July 15 on France Inter, in reaction to the regrets expressed by Caroline Cayeux in Le Parisien/Today in France. In an interview, the Minister of Territorial Communities says “to regret” his comments “stupid” of 2013 criticizing the opening of marriage to same-sex couples.
“I obviously stand by my words. But I have always said that the law, if it were passed, I would apply it”she however declared, two days earlier, on the Public Senate channel. “I must tell you anyway: I have a lot of friends among these people. Frankly, it’s a bad trial that I’m being made and it upset me a lot”she added on the same television set.
“As Minister in charge of Local Authorities, Caroline Cayeux has many levers to support the cause [des LGBT] “
Marlene Schiappaat France Inter
“If she wishes to do so, she can support the opening of LGBT + centers all over the country, she can support ‘pride’ [marche des Fiertés]it can support mayors who want to get involved in creating delegations on LGBT+ rights”, she listed. “She has a lot of leverage”she insisted.
After his remarks deemed homophobic, the Minister in charge of Territorial Communities Caroline Cayeux “deeply regrets” his words. “It’s up to the people concerned to say whether they accept his apology,” says @MarleneSchiappa#le69inter pic.twitter.com/7sM7bKshcN
– France Inter (@franceinter) July 15, 2022
“It’s not up to me to say if I accept these apologies, I think it’s up to the people concerned to say if they accept them”also said Marlène Schiappa, for whom Caroline Cayeux’s words were “Of course” very hurtful.
According to her, “Nobody has an interest in going back to the debates of the past, and having debates from another time to know whether or not we open marriage for all” because “it’s in the law”. “The law is there and therefore we apply the law”she hammered.