The Pride March is taking place this Saturday, June 29 in Paris, the day before the first round of the legislative elections. According to the president of Inter-LGBT, “there is no reason to fear anything.”
By coincidence, the calendar has been largely disrupted following the dissolution of the National Assembly, and the Pride March is taking place this Saturday, June 29 in Paris, the day before the first round of the early legislative elections.
The proximity between these two major weekend meetings does not worry James Leperlier, president of Inter-LGBT, organizer of the Pride March. “At this stage, there is no reason to fear anything,” he told BFMTV.com.
This year, “the number of volunteers and associative partners is increasing,” continues the president. There will be 150 volunteers on Saturday to ensure the march goes smoothly, compared to 80 last year. In addition to the hundred volunteers mobilized throughout the route, “each association has its own volunteers for its own zone”.
“No proven threat at the moment”
This reinforcement of personnel, who do not ensure security and maintenance of order unlike the police, was planned, particularly with the return of tanks this season. “But the context helped the mobilization more,” confides James Leparlier who claims to be in contact with the Paris police headquarters “almost daily”.
According to the president of Inter-LGBT, “there is no proven threat at the moment” to the procession. However, he notes an increase in messages calling for “breaking up ‘PD’ after the elections on social networks”. “More virulent” messages, he adds.
The Parisian procession will set off from Porte de la Villette at 1:30 p.m. this Saturday. The arrival is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Place de la République. This year, the Pride March is mobilizing against transphobia.
“Faced with the extreme right, its allies and the complacent, let’s march on June 29 to defend LGBT+ people, and in particular transgender people. Against transphobia: transsolidarities” Inter-LGBT shared on X after the remarks made by Emmanuel Macron.
The President of the Republic had mocked the “grosque” desire of the New Popular Front to allow people to “change their sex at the town hall”. In its programme for the early legislative elections, the New Popular Front proposes to “authorise the free and unrestricted change of civil status before a civil registrar”.
LGBT+ advocacy groups said they were “shocked” and “appalled” by Emmanuel Macron’s comments.
“These comments are very shocking, we are appalled,” declared the president of Inter-LGBT James Leperlier. “It is all the more worrying given the current context of transphobia: it is adding fuel to a fire that is already burning.”
“This is a sign that they will not hesitate to go back on our rights, if only in the debate, to solicit votes,” he added, denouncing “a dangerous shift” and the “open door towards transphobic and LGBTphobic legislative proposals”.
This Friday, June 28, 60 associations called for “the 2024 Paris Pride March to be a demonstration of force against the far right” in a column broadcast on Têtu. “On Saturday June 29, we have an appointment with History. Let’s be there.”
