France is considering plans to give reparations to gay men in the form of financial compensation for those jailed under previous laws.
The French Senate is considering extending compensation to gay men jailed under laws the country had in the 1940s and 1960s.
Despite France having decriminalized homosexuality in 1789, up to 60,000 men were jailed by the government using two laws that targeted homosexuals, specifically men.
A 1942 law set the age of consent at 21 for gays but only 13 or 15 for heterosexuals.
Under the law, 10,000 men were jailed.
A 1960s public decency law that doubled penalties for gays saw another 50,000 jailed.
“People tend to think France was protective of gay people compared to, say, Germany or the UK,” sociologist Régis Schlagdenhauffen, who teaches at the EHESS institute in Paris, said.
“But when you look at the figures you get a very different picture.
“France was not this cradle of human rights we like to think of,” he added.
“The Revolution tried to decriminalize homosexuality, but subsequent regimes found other stratagems to repress gay people.
“This repression was enshrined in law in 1942 and even more so in 1960.”
The law proposed by Socialist Senator Hussein Bourgi proposes offering any men still alive 10,000 euros each as a lump sum.
They would also receive 150 euros for each day they were in jail and the reimbursement of fines.
It would also formally recognize the French state’s responsibility for how the victims were treated.
France’s actions, if taken, would follow those of other European countries whose laws similarly jailed people for being homosexual.
Spain, Germany, and Austria are a few countries that have recently adopted similar legislation.
“Recognition and reparation of historical wrongs are an important part of a country’s stance on the protection of LGBT rights,” he said.
“If this law is approved, it will bring France more in line with European standards.”
Of course, many socialists don’t think the bill goes far enough.
They claim that the discrimination goes much further back than 1942, and encompasses far more policies than just these two laws.
But Schlagdenhauffen called the bill a start, at least.
“We have to start somewhere, and the legislation enacted in 1942 and 1960, with its direct focus on homosexuals, is a good place to start,” he said.
He also recognized that the bill may not pass the Senate, which is dominated by conservatives.
“The Senate has a conservative, right-wing majority, which is traditionally reluctant to acknowledge the state’s responsibility in past repression,” he said.
“It is not particularly favorable to LGBT rights either.”
Besides the issue of support, or lack thereof, for LGBT rights, can these cash-strapped European countries really afford to make these payouts?
And should they have to?
