In April 2013, marriage and adoption became legal for same-sex couples in France.
There was widespread opposition which continues.
In the run-up to this vote, the photographer, Olivier Ciappa (French born 1979) mounted an exhibition of photographs of people in poses both affectionate and intimate. These were not necessarily gay.
He said he wanted to change mentalities.
He did this by a direct appeal to emotions and to people’s aesthetic sense.
Here are two well-known people:
Roselyne Bachelot on the left and Audrey Pulvar on the right.
The first a right-wing politician, a cabinet member under two presidents of the right. The second a left-wing journalist. Neither is gay.
This is distinctly not Anglo stuff.
Members of Anglo cabinets allowing themselves to be posed suggestively with people of the left media establishment!?
It dizzies my Anglo heart.
This is an incomparable civilization. Without compare. Which I love.
I didn’t know that picture of Bachelot and Pulvar.
Roselyne Bachelot was the only one in her Right-wing party to approve of gay marriage.
I always give him a little tenderness.
She has some humanity and she always seemed more straightforward and genuine than some of those in office today. But that may not be fair!
Le Figaro published quite a few photographs in this series, if I remember this correctly. I was quite surprised because the photographer was quite unambiguous in some of his photos!
Sarah