Laws such as marriage for all (2013), the ban on conversion therapies (2022) or the national plans against discrimination were preceded by years of activism.
The National Plan for Equality, against Hatred and Anti-LGBT+ Discrimination (2023–2026) was co-developed with more than a hundred partners, including local and national LGBT+ associations, LGBT+ centers, and public institutions.
These groups proposed more than 300 concrete measures, showing an unprecedented mobilization to change public policy.
A growing political commitment
The French government now regards the fight against LGBT+ discrimination as a political priority.
The shift in public opinion (85% of French people considered homosexuality a normal way of living one’s sexuality in 2019, compared with 24% in 1975) has also strengthened the political legitimacy of these laws.
In sum, gay and LGBT+ groups have played a driving role in the enactment of these laws, by mobilizing, raising awareness, and taking an active part in the political consultation process.