Two mayors (LR) have issued an order to ban STI prevention posters that show homosexual couples.
In recent days, posters of a campaign led by Public Health France and the Ministry of Health on the prevention of the health risk linked to “Sex between men” have been popping up everywhere in France. The various visual aids feature two men hugging each other, with the following messages “‘With a lover, a friend, a stranger” or “Love at first sight, first attempt, one night stand” “.
In a previous paper, Why actor explained why these visuals are not to the liking of Catholic Family Associations (AFC). They even went so far as to assert that this proximity campaign contravened article R 624-2 of the Penal Code. This provides that “the fact of disseminating on the public highway or in public places messages contrary to decency is punished by the fine provided for 4th class contraventions”. Arguments heard by some mayors of France opposed to this AIDS prevention campaign targeted for gays.
Mayors stand up against posters
This is the case of the mayor (Les Républicains) of Aulnay-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis) who issued a decree to ban these posters, reports The Parisian. A yellow banner, pasted on prevention posters, quotes “child protection” as the reason for this decree. Socialist deputy Daniel Goldberg denounced on Twitter the “homophobic” nature of this decision by the mayor of Aulnay.
But on BFM, Bruno Beschizza maintains his position: “When you put subliminal messages of a one-night adventure, of coupling without talking about love in such a concise manner, on a bus shelter without contextualizing, I imagine a child of five years old. who without free will can have a certain confusion in the mind ”.
Posters removed in Angers
And he is not alone in asking for the withdrawal of this campaign. The mayor of Angers, Christophe Béchu, also asked the JC Decaux poster network to remove the posters from his city after in particular being asked by residents about the proximity of the posters to a school. In a letter, the elected representative uses the same arguments as his colleague from Aulnay-sous-Bois: “This campaign, through the slogans chosen and the messages suggested, aroused a great stir among many Angevins. (…) Deliberately shocking, this poster campaign is broadcast near schools, at bus shelters, thus delivering a message that young children are unable to understand ”.
JC Decaux acceded during the day to the mayor’s wish by removing all the posters on Monday, according to the services of the City. The response of the Minister of Health is concise: “Some refuse to see two men together, they want to censor this campaign? Share it! Your retweets are the best answer. Love is love ”. The tenant of avenue Duquesne (Paris) invites these men to visit the site sexosafe.fr for information on screening, vaccinations and other means of protection.
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