Gay French politician receives death threat over marriage announcement

A French mayor received bullets in the mail after giving an interview about wanting to marry and adopt children

Published May 3, 2013 3:28PM (EDT)

   (Shutterstock)
(Shutterstock)

French politician Thierry Speitel was sent bullets in the mail after giving an interview with a local newspaper in which he discussed his desire to marry his partner and adopt children now that France has legalized same-sex marriage and equal adoption rights for gay couples.

Along with the bullets, the Sigolsheim mayor was sent a copy of the interview scrawled over with homophobic slurs. He called the threat "odious."

As reported by English-language French news site the Local, Speitel is not the only French politician to receive death threats as the opposition to marriage equality in France becomes increasingly vocal -- and threatening:

On April 22nd, on the eve of the decisive vote on the gay marriage bill in the National Assembly, Claude Bartolone, the Socialist president of France’s lower house received a threatening letter containing gunpowder.

Violence broke out last week after the French National Assembly voted to legalize same-sex marriage, with close to 500 protesters throwing bricks, bottles and firecrackers at police blocking entry to Parliament.

In the same interview, Speitel denounced the growing anti-gay sentiment following the landmark vote.


By Katie McDonough

Katie McDonough is Salon's politics writer, focusing on gender, sexuality and reproductive justice. Follow her on Twitter @kmcdonovgh or email her at kmcdonough@salon.com.

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Anti-gay Violence France Gay Marriage Homophobia Violence