French minister takes heat for backing statement ‘too many white men over 50 in media’
A French advocacy group battling anti-white racism has a bone to pick with the culture minister, saying she endorsed the statement that there are “too many white men over 50” in the media.
Cultural Minister Francoise Nyssen is taking heat from the Organization Against Anti-White Racism (OLRA), which called her position discriminatory and filed a legal complaint.
Nyssen backed the opinion in early June as she was unveiling her plans to reform public television to the heads of leading news outlets. During the presentation, she said she agreed with a statement made by the head of France Televisions, Delphine Ernotte, who said a couple of years ago that the broadcaster needed an overhaul because it was run by “white men over 50.”
“Delphine, you must have felt very lonely when you bravely stated this obvious thing,” Nyssen said, claiming Ernotte was “not alone” anymore.
The OLRA says that during her speech, Nyssen used the term ‘white males’ (‘mâle blanc’ in French) rather than ‘white men’, and they claim it is as offensive as using the term ‘black females’. The group claimed her that was clearly "racist & sexist."
Suite à l'exhortation de la ministre @FrancoiseNyssen d'expulser les « Mâles Blancs » d’un espace social, @OLRA_asso , Avocats sans Frontières et @GWGoldnadel s’associent pour porter l’affaire devant les tribunaux.Notre communiqué:⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/bokqHDCuci
— OLRA (@OLRA_asso) July 3, 2018
Speaking to RT France, lawyer Gilles-William Goldnadel – tasked by the OLRA with the case – will focus on racial discrimination. Sexism would be excluded from the complaint as Nyssen may argue that she used French word ‘homme’ in general.
The somehow provocative word combination that triggered the unease of OLRA has in fact been used by President Macron. In May, he ridiculed a renovation plan for French suburbs proposed by “two white males,” referring to the authors of the document. However, the French leader will not face any charges for this as he is protected by presidential immunity, according to Goldnadel.
Nyssen’s reforms are, among other things, aimed at curbing ‘fake news’. Critics of French President Emmanuel Macron see the bill, which is expected to come into force before the European Parliament election next spring, as an attempt to impose censorship on a less-than-friendly press.
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