French politician fined €5,000 for saying ‘homosexuality is an abomination’
A former leader of a French political party has been fined €5,000 ($5,470; £3,686) for ‘publicly inciting hatred or violence’ against LGBTI people.
A court in Paris on Thursday (17 December) handed down the sentence to Christine Boutin, ex-president of the Christian Democratic Party, for saying that ‘homosexuality is an abomination’ in April 2014.
Boutin – who was minister of housing and urban development under President Nicolas Sarkozy – must also pay €2,000 in damages to two LGBTI groups, Mousse and Le Refuge.
‘This decision sets a precedent for several reasons. It is no longer possible to escape criminal liability for homophobic remarks under the guise of religious discourse,’ said Etienne Deshoulières, the lawyer for Mousse.
In a 2014 interview with Charles magazine, Boutin said: ‘Homosexuality is an abomination. But not the person. The sin is never acceptable, but the sinner is always forgiven.’
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26 Comments
Dennis Macaulay
December 24, 04:49Lol I like the way things are going in the West!
I like how homophobes are forced to swallow their homophobia, it is very hilarious
Mr. Fingers
December 24, 09:06No. I don’t like what is going on in the West.
Gradually freedom of expression is being curtailed. That’s his opinion, he should be entitled to it.
Absalom
December 24, 09:37O di egwu!
It’s opinions like his that make families throw out their children; and guys get thrown off minarets.
Never think that opinions are innocent.
With freedom comes responsibility. The man was irresponsible. May thunder fire him. After paying that fine, of course. ???
Keredim
December 24, 11:35@Fingers @Absalom – Christine Boutin is a woman.??
ShowMeYoursPlease
December 24, 11:41Sometimes you people say things and I just want to weep. Freedom of expression? Aren’t you aware that your freedom shouldn’t curtail someone else’s? Remarks that can/will prove injurious to a certain group of people should not and will not be permitted. It is thought patterns like this that made your great grandfathers’ kings sell their village people to the white men as slaves. E say freedom of expression. Like libel and defamation don’t exist. Foh!
Chuck
December 24, 13:49Are you also in support of Fascist speech and the right for people to call Igbos cockroaches and so on? Just to clarify how far your free speech goes.
Mr. Fingers
December 24, 15:13Dude u can’t make people like what u do by punishing them. That’s just wrong.
Keredim
December 24, 16:22Here is the thing @Fingers:
Due to the rise in homophobic attacks in France, the French Parliament passed legislation to prevent such attacks.
By saying something that could incite hatred or violence against homosexuals, you have broken the law. Penalty is either a jail term, fine or both.
This lady broke the law. And as a former cabinet minister she knew what she was doing and I think she got off easy.
No one is forcing her to like homosexuals. She could have done so quietly. She knew she would be breaking the law by saying what she said in the interview.
Mr. Fingers
December 24, 18:39@keredim that’s just her opinion and I don’t think she should be fined for saying it.
First the gays in the West complain abt laws that marginalise them. Now laws are being made to stop people from saying what they think. What a pity.
Keredim
December 24, 19:08It’s her opinion. YES. But the law of the land says, do not voice such opinions, especially if they incite hate & violence.
Bottom line is she broke the law and she was a member of government at some point.
Gays of the West fought for their right to be treated the same as other human beings in the land.
(Same right I believe we gays in Nigeria are also fighting for in our own unique way.)
Now they have gained that right to some extent, they have sought to protect it. It is not a pity it is progress.
And you broadly say, “.. Laws are being made to stop people from saying what they think..” This law was passed to protect homosexuals and women.
It does not prevent “non-hate and violence incitement towards a certain community” speech
Mr. Fingers
December 24, 22:48How is someone expressing his belief that homosexuality is an abomination protecting gay people and women? @keredim. Seriously. I don’t see any harm done.
Hopefully this is the judgement of a lower court. Let’s pray she can appeal the judgment.
Jamie
December 24, 18:13Freedom of irresponsible, hate, stupid, totally evil speech? I guess that here in Naija, we should allow a muslim who comes to the market and announces that muslims should maltreat christians, to go scot-free…
ken
December 24, 05:19Wow France doesnt joke with human rights sha! Lol
When will we get to this level……oh lord!
pete
December 24, 06:08For all those ‘it’s my opinion’ people, hope you now realise that some opinions are better kept to yourself.
Dennis Macaulay
December 24, 06:59Hahahahahahahahaha
I swear down!
Keep it to yourself ooo!
You will do opinion opinion your money will finish on fine
Pink Panther
December 24, 07:13French people have now woken up to the reality that opinions can cost money. lol
Mr. Fingers
December 24, 09:09No, him keeping his opinion to himself is even worse for his gay neighbours.
I would rather ve someone who doesn’t like me and says it than someone who pretends to like me becos he is scared of saying what is against the law.
ambivalentone
December 24, 07:43biko, how much is the equivalent in naira? Perhaps the enormity will shock some idiots into silence
Mandy
December 24, 07:58*parking my bags* France, here I come.
Masked Man
December 24, 08:53Only 5000?
Mtcheeew!
I just hate it when peeps say that rubbish about how the sin is not forgivable, but the sinner is.
Tufia!
Delle
December 24, 09:45PP wee just be giving me news that would sweet my insides this morning, love you baby!
So someone can be fined for being homophobic? Who says the world is crap? Thank God o. In all these development, I wonder if nature threw a meteor on Nigeria! A country where you are harassed for being suggestively gay compared to a country where you are fined for being homophobic? Honey, that’s a million years of growth and development! Lol
*sashaying away in a pool of roses*
Teflondon
December 24, 12:12I think Its wrong to fine people for expressing their opinions. homophobes or not.. Everyone should be entitled to their opinion whether it favors a certain group of people or not. this is just another sad reality of how the world is being channelled into becoming a politically correct institution. People have different beliefs, values etc if those opinions, beliefs dont have a direct adverse effect on other people then it shouldn’t be curtailed.
There is a difference between what this woman said and what Kim Davis did. People have opinions but dont act upon it, the moment you act on your beliefs and its harmful to the next person then It is justifiable to be punished. being punished for just airing out your views is totally wrong.
And I am worried for those celebrating this because the world as it is now, is fast becoming a gigantic institution filled with political correct people. We shouldn’t try to take diversity out of humanity.
REV HOt
December 24, 13:18Tef, I’m sorry but you’re super wrong…. what if someone said you being born a particular tribe or country is an abomination….
you can’t call God’s creation an abomination..
it’s all shades of wrong…
I don’t agree about the fine given. but she’s still wrong for saying that…
THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BROADCASTING YOUR OPINION, AND PLAINLY BROADCASTING HATE!!!!
Mr. Fingers
December 24, 18:43Gbam@tef.u ve said it all.
Tobby
December 24, 13:33Not sure how I feel about this
Jeova Sanctus Unus
December 26, 03:49How many of us are against such fines when they are for racist, sexist, and religious remarks? How we so much wish there wasn’t some spotlight on us.
There actually exists a law against someone insulting the presidency or calling for the death of the president. We have a couple of such laws, they just aren’t enforced. The cost of prosecuting such trivial-seeming cases would send us protesting.
I love nudity. I love art. Imagine if I deposited myself in front of a church/mosque. There’s ”the right to freedom of expression’, there’s also the illegality of public nudity.
Imagine if I deposited myself there, on the street, holding a calabash and some Juju religious stuff. Most people will be against me. I could be injured pr killed, even by cops. There’s no law against that.
Granted, people say shit about a lotta other people too. It isn’t anyone’s fault they chose not to take it up. If at anytime in the future, hate remarks against European Americans become a problem, a law would be made to protect them.
It’s homophobia, lose it.