Alice Coffin's first work, "Le genie lesbien", did not leave public opinion indifferent for long.

One of its radical positions, in particular, is debated: no longer reading, watching or listening to works created by men.

Its readers defend a text very far from the caricatures made by its detractors.

TESTIMONY

It's a book that has been making a lot of noise lately: that of Alice Coffin, entitled

Le genie lesbien

.

The feminist activist, elected ecologist at the Council of Paris, proposes to "eliminate men from our minds, our images and our representations".

She explains no longer reading their books, no longer listening to their music, no longer watching their films.

In short, it's radical.

Minister Marlène Schiappa, who claims to be a feminist, even denounces dangerous and disturbing remarks.

But those who have read this book, and not just a few extracts, find it difficult to understand the violence it evokes.

Alice Coffin doesn't force anyone

"I'm reading

Alice Coffin's

Lesbian Genius

: it's brilliant, inspiring, and extremely nuanced and argued, unlike the reviews you can read from people who obviously haven't read it. #JeSoutiensAliceCoffin" , writes a surfer on Twitter.

I'm reading "The Lesbian Genius" by @alicecoffin: it's brilliant, inspiring, and extremely nuanced and argued, unlike the reviews you can read from people who obviously haven't read it.

#ISupportAliceCoffin

- Armony ALTINIER (@armonyaltinier) October 3, 2020

Women interviewed by Europe 1 also emphasize above all the positive, saving, liberating side of this book.

Of course Alice Coffin provokes with the words, the sentences that she writes.

Wanting to do without the gaze of men, on oneself, on the cultural world, is a revolution in itself, they say.

# JesoutiensAliceCoffin # Choisirlesfemmes


I

thrive

on reading women pic.twitter.com/LEKmdbACPb

- Little Miss Punchline (her) (@Punchlinette) October 6, 2020

But Alice Coffin does not force anyone, it is a personal approach, explains Clémentine Gallot, feminist author, for whom the anger aroused by the book demonstrates exactly what Alice Coffin is talking about.

"There is a contempt for what she writes and it feels like the fact that a woman can do without men is impossible to hear and say. There really is a paradox: if we do Alice Coffin file, why give so much importance to what she writes? Men are still really clinging to their privileges, I think that's why there is a very virulent reaction ", analyzes l author.

"Make the effort to look for authors"

"I no longer read men's books, I no longer watch their films," says Alice Coffin who adds, and this is important: "Let's start like this. Later, they can come back."

Devoting herself to reading women's works is also the approach of Lauriane Nicole, creator of a lesbian culture media.

"In college or high school, most of the works that I have studied are men's novels: Zola, Baudelaire, Flaubert ... It's great! Nobody says they should be burned, and even more less Alice Coffin! But maybe if we made the effort to look for authors from the 16th, 17th or even the 21st century, it could make a difference. "

"True violence", says Lauriane Nicole, "it is the invisibility of women since the dawn of time".

Like her, on social networks, hundreds of Internet users are showing their support for Alice Coffin, posting photos of books written only by women.

Yes, let's share our favorite authors, it will make good lists of ideas for Mother Christmas # Choose the women # JesoutiensAliceCoffin # matrimoinepic.twitter.com / xANHR8GzJx

- M-Cécile Puissochet ✊️ (@MCPuissochet) October 6, 2020