January 17, 2013

For several days we seem only to be hearing about the mobilization in the streets of France in opposition to gay marriage. Is the same debate currently taking place on this side of the ocean? Not for the time being, thankfully! As you can imagine, I do not share any of that outdated thinking of believing that a child can only receive all the love it needs if it is raised by a father and a mother.

Nonetheless, it seems to me that at least one interesting element emerges from this protest. I will therefore take the liberty to digress for a moment. I will even go so far as to qualify it as a positive element. I am talking of course, about the means used to be heard.

In fact, I was surprised to see that the mobilization of citizens has been the preferred way to convey the message.

Surprised? Because mobilization of citizens is the means most often associated with solidarity and equality causes, while those advocating the status quo tend to call on the means and mechanisms associated with individual rights, such as injunctions and constitutional appeals.

But here, you will agree with me in saying that the demonstrators in question are not pushing for solidarity or equality. Quite the contrary, they oppose any law that proposes nothing less than the implementation of equality between mixed couples and same-sex couples. Hence my astonishment to see these people decrying in solidarity a policy pushing equality, which is neither contrary to human rights, or even restrictive for those who oppose it.

And how is this positive? Because, I believe that a certain wave of panic is hidden behind the protest movement, because the fact of labelling the argument of the “silent majority” will no longer be enough to stop these changes that a growing number of people in the world want.

Have a good 2013