New French sports minister maintains commitment to the fight against homophobia in sport

Chantal Jouanno, the new French minister for sport, has just confirmed again her commitment to the program against homophobia in sport launched by her predecessor Rama Yada, and in which FGG-member Fédération sportive gaie et lesbienne has been a key partner.

The video above was made on the occasion of the Minister's recent visit to Le Refuge*, a shelter for homeless gay and lesbian youth (one of the few of its kind in France). In the video, she explains that she visited Le Refuge because the fight against homophobia is an important part of the ministry's mission to combat all forms of discrimination, and that sport is an effective tool for rebuilding ones self-esteem, because in sport, you can always improve and move forward. She said that she believes, alas, that beyond the young people she met at Le Refuge, there are many more who are excluded by those who are supposed to love them, and who remain invisible. She noted that France lags behind other countries in terms of supporting young gays and lesbians facing rejection from their families.

Ms. Jouanno praised the initiative of Rama Yade, and made clear the new rules for French sports clubs: a "semi-conditionality" of public funding. Clubs will not receive public funds unless they contribute to the fight against homophobia.

* Correction: we originally stated that the visit was to the Montpellier shelter, the best known of the centers run by Le Refuge, when in fact the visit was to the Paris shelter.