Report

The Banlieue Pride march brings together hundreds of LGBT+ people near Paris

Several hundred people marched for the third edition of the Pride March of the suburbs this Saturday in Saint-Denis, in the northern suburbs of Paris. A rally organized to defend the rights of LGBT+ people living in working-class neighborhoods. A march to display their differences with pride.

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Participants in the Pride des banlieues in Saint-Denis in June 2022 (Illustration image). AFP - SAMEER AL-DOUMY

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Angry Trans ", "LGBT worship", "PMA now". It was with these slogans displayed on placards that hundreds of people marched, some for the very first time. Siva, a 19-year-old Indian, a rainbow-colored flag wrapped around his neck. "It's symbolic to do Pride in Saint-Denis," he says.

Did his parents accept his bisexuality? "They don't know," he smiles. Normally, there, I am at a friend's house, so I find myself at Pride. I hope they will accept one day. As long as I'm actually under their roof, I wouldn't like to talk too much about it because it's going to hurt them."

« People consider that I should not exist »

Hiding is over for Raissa. This Cameroonian decided to assume her sexual orientation: "I no longer have contact with anyone. I don't even want to talk about it anymore because people think I shouldn't exist. I have reached a stage in my life where I also consider that they should not exist. Why should I not exist because I am a lesbian? What for?

David had to go into exile. "It's always persecution there in Senegal. We can hunt you down, kill you there. You're always hidden, all the time threatened," he says. David applied for asylum in France.

► Read also: France: SOS Homophobia warns about the "worrying increase" in physical attacks targeting LGBT+

This year, we are marching for an ART without discrimination.

Jérôme, spokesperson for the Banlieue Pride March

Sylvie Koffi

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• France
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