Fabrice Houdart | A weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ Equality
This week: Attal’s contradictions, an emotional letter from India, Florida’s resistance, A wavering Pope, Lux Pascal, the 2024 IDAHOBIT theme, Sam Altman gets hitched, and more…
Welcome to this week's edition of Fabrice Houdart | A weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ Equality. We bring you the latest, most impactful LGBTQ+ developments from across the globe every Wednesday at noon sharp. From groundbreaking political appointments to challenging narratives, this is your window to understanding the shifting landscapes of LGBTQ+ rights, business, and representation.
This week: Attal’s contradictions, an emotional letter from India, Florida’s resistance, A wavering Pope, Lux Pascal, the 2024 IDAHOBIT theme, Sam Altman gets hitched, and more…
Global News
Attal: a “French exception”?
This Washington Post piece claims that French media vastly underreported Attal’s sexual orientation because the country keeps public figures' private lives discreet. It then talks of "le droit à l'indifférence," the right to be acknowledged without being defined by one’s differences. I see it also as a reluctance by the French elite to be involved in a working-class liberation movement in opposition to the US movement, which is elite-driven for historical and sociological reasons. This has consequences. Noteworthy, Attal has never been a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and came out reluctantly despite his experiences with prejudice. In France, there is often a lack of coherence between “public” and “private” lives for LGBTQ+ elites.
“As education minister, for instance, he appeared reluctant to press for an investigation into the death of a teenage boy who killed himself a year ago after experiencing anti-gay bullying at his school in the Vosges region.”
France: the strange Attal government
The US press focused on the fact that Attal’s ex-partner, Stéphane Séjourné, was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. But, LGBTQ+ activists were more surprised by a right-wing government that includes politicians who fought tooth and nail against same-sex marriage. Aurore Bergé, ironically the Minister of Equality, Gérald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior, Catherine Vautrin, Minister of Labor, Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces, all participated in the antagonistic La Manif Pour Tous, and voted against same-sex marriage. Since then, sure, they sheepishly apologized like Vautrin, who now says she "missed this meeting which has now become obvious" and describes marriage equality as a "very good thing." Guess why the 2024 Edelman survey reminded us that the public does not trust governments?
China: taking a turn for the worse
The Guardian discusses how LGBTQ+ advocates remaining in China, especially those aiding the transgender community, face increasing state persecution. For example, transgender woman, Mei, was arrested for allegedly kidnapping her friend, Ying, who was fleeing family-imposed house arrest due to her trans identity. It also cites cases of LGBTQ+ individuals forced into conversion practices and young trans people sent to boot camps for "re-education." This shift to conservative values could be an aspect of Xi Ping’s preparation for a war, which the New York Times claims is coming.
India: The Queer Heartbreak of Wedding Season in India
Read Neville Bhandara's poignant piece in Vogue. No, I am serious this time; read it. I loved how it describes the quasi-universal queer experience of living in the waiting room. The Supreme Court's 2023 decision against marriage equality has intensified this feeling, highlighting the deep-rooted challenges we continue to face in India.
“I often joke to friends, “My life hasn’t changed much since college; I just have more money to spend now.” When I first offered up that bon mot, it was funny. Now, it becomes less so by the day. Many of my closest cis-het friends are married and have started families. They are investing in a life and a future together. As for most queer folks? We’re still swiping on dating apps and coasting on antidepressants.”
Mexico: Transgender Violence in Mexico Sparks Outrage
Time Magazine reports that the community in Mexico is facing a grim start to 2024, with multiple transgender individuals brutally murdered. The recent killing of activist Samantha Gómez Fonseca in Mexico City has galvanized protests. Demonstrators are calling for action against the rising tide of transphobic violence, a trend in a country grappling with deep-rooted societal and religious conservatism. Semafor also reported this morning that Mexico had an overall 30,000 murders last year for the sixth year running.
LGBTQ+ People as geopolitical pawns
This insightful essay by Phillip Ayoub and Kristina Stoeckl, "The Global Resistance to LGBTIQ Rights," was published this week in the Journal of Democracy and discusses how illiberal governments are increasingly using LGBTQ+ rights as a political tool, framing these rights as contrary to traditional values and national sovereignty. It’s a noteworthy difference; before we were accused of destroying societal norms, while very recently, we became an existential threat to the species’ survival.
Illiberal leaders […] are telling their people that their religions, nations, children, women, and families are under threat from changing gender norms and in need of protection from them.
Davos: the Global risks of misinformation and polarization
This year, the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2024 lists misinformation (ranking #1 in the short term), societal polarization (ranking #3), and the erosion of human rights (ranking #15) among our most pressing concerns. For our community, these risks are particularly resonant. The spread of false information undermines the hard-won advances, amplifying societal divides. For example, the US and UK movement's failure to craft and communicate a viable response on trans issues and LGBTQ+ presence in school curricula has led to a concrete dip in support from the public.
US News
Florida: Rallies Against Anti-LGBTQ Legislation
Equality Florida is an outlier in the US movement, a modern Alamo, with convening power and creativity in its resistance to anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. This week, it organized a rally in Tallahassee in response to DeSantis’ defeat in Iowa. Hundreds demonstrated to oppose a flurry of new anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, including "Don't Say Gay or Trans at Work" and the "Trans Erasure Bill." Equality Florida is championing alternatives like the "Health Care Freedom Act" and the "Freedom to Learn Act.” We need more Nadine Smith around here.
Florida (again): Bridget Ziegler hopes to survive
Remmeber Bridget Ziegler? The co-founder of Moms for Liberty and a school board member in Saratosa, who was involved in a problematic threeway with her husband, Christian Ziegler. While the GOP ejected him over rape allegations, she continues to show up at the Sarasota County School Board meetings as if nothing happened. A previous school board resolution had asked for her resignation. The DailyBeast tells us that this week saw strong participation from students, parents, and LGBTQ community members demanding she leave.
The Gay Business
The polarization of US Inc.
The BBC Worklife is less optimistic about Corporate America and DEI than I am and sees the backlash against DEI policies inevitably leading to business polarization. Elon Musk, Bill Ackman, and Chip Wilson (founder of Lululemon) of this World are regressing on one side while other companies are doubling down. For now, Tesla appears quite resilient, although China's competition might make a dent.
Survey on LGBT+ People and Working Abroad
A new survey by Professors Yiu-Tung Suen and Lee Badgett seeks insights from LGBTQ+ business professionals on their experiences and attitudes toward working abroad. I completed it today, and it only took me 10 minutes; here is the link.
Queering the Boardroom
Time to reinvent yourself as an AI specialist
This Corporate Board Member Magazine’s edition standout is the "Building High-Performing Boards" report, emphasizing industry and C-suite experience as remaining top attributes for new board members. Significantly, AI, data governance, and cybersecurity top the list of board challenges, highlighting a pivot towards tech-savviness in boardroom strategy. The magazine features the "class of 2023" new Board members, referencing our Association on page 47, underscoring a commitment to board diversity as a linchpin of effective governance.
LGBTQ+ representation at the Business Roundtable
The Business Roundtable's 2024 Board of Directors, consisting of 26 esteemed leaders, notably includes two openly LGBTQ+ members – Tim Cook and Beth Ford. This accounts for approximately 7.7% of the board.
France: Alexandre Maymat's journey at Société Générale
In a scarce move towards LGBTQ+ visibility within the upper echelons of the corporate world in Rance, Alexandre Maymat, a 55-year-old executive committee member of Société Générale, spoke in Les Echos about why he decided to come out on LinkedIn last May 17th. “Before I came out, I was a caricature of the French elite,” he reflected, acknowledging how his elite French background and heterosexual persona were part of a façade he maintained.
The semi-cultural desk
Lux Pascal, rising star
CNN had a piece yesterday about Pedro and Lux Pascal attending the Emmys. Lux Pascal is a transgender actress and model, who, strangely enough, the twins and I spent Thanksgiving with two years ago in Connecticut.
“I don’t want to have to answer all these questions about my identity. Sometimes I just want to chill and have a beignet.”
Sam Altman's Heart Codes the AI of Love
OpenAI's Sam Altman, the man behind ChatGPT, has upgraded his life's operating system by marrying his long-time partner, Oliver Mulherin.
My Danish doppelganger and his charmed life
Have you ever had one of those weekends where you get texts from friends insisting you have a royal doppelgänger? Frederick and I might share white hair and wrinkles, but he gets more action than I do.
The Pope wavers
The same-sex union blessing/surrogacy saga gets downgraded from Global News to the Semi-cultural desk, as the Pope’s backpedaling is more like the stuff of comedy. America Magazine reported this week that Catholic bishops in Africa, led by Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu and with Pope Francis' agreement, have collectively decided not to bless same-sex couples. The bishops feel such blessings could cause confusion and scandal in their cultural and religious contexts, especially considering the solid legal and societal opposition to homosexuality. In the meantime, the blessing of dogs during the feast of Saint Anthony, Spain's patron saint of animals, this week went fine.
En vrac
Andrew Scott wants to retire the phrase “openly gay,” Aspen Gay Ski Week fires back at its troll, Eitan will do the MoonWalk at his school’s talent show on the 29th, Jennifer Coolidge gets applause at the Emmys for thanking “all the evil gays,” read this Variety review of Japanese film Egoist and watch the trailer.
The Gay Agenda
Friday: A Great Potential for Rainbow Tourism
In Kathmandu this Friday, Sunil Panta, the first openly gay Asian MP, is organizing an "Inclusive (Rainbow) Tourism Perspectives in Nepal" workshop, a fusion of culture and business, that promises to be a landmark in advancing LGBTQ+-friendly tourism in the country. Nepal is now an outlier in the region, with same-sex marriages on the books.
Jan/Feb: Georgetown's Class Act on LGBTQ+ Issues
Spring 2024 at Georgetown just got much more fabulous as Caroline Vagneron and I taught our first class of the Spring Semester of "Queering International Development" last night.
May 17th: 🏳️🌈 IDAHOBIT 2024 theme
This year, the theme for IDAHOBIT (May 17) is "No one left behind: equality, freedom, and justice for all" which resonates with the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It's a global call for unity and solidarity to combat inequalities.
Biden vs. Trump Poll
Last week’s newsletter poll got 110 responses: 29% of you feel we're "Doomed and Gloomed." In contrast, a hopeful 52% are "Cautiously Optimistic," perhaps seeing Biden not as the Titanic but as an elegant, iceberg-dodging yacht. The remaining 19% are still scanning the horizon, undecided. One thing's for sure – the U.S. Presidential election is going to suck the air out of the room, as it already does at Davos this week.
And that's a wrap on this week's whirlwind tour of LGBTQ+ happenings! Adieu for now! I love writing this newsletter as its audience is an international bunch likely navigating the cultural intricacies of France's elite while dodging political icebergs in the US and seeking a blessing for your pet during Spain's feast of Saint Anthony.
I'd like you to talk about the more than 600 antitrans bills put forth already this year in the US.