A Week Against Discrimination
From November 13 to 17, the University of Montpellier held its week-long campaign against LGBT+ phobia. This year’s program focused on LGBT struggles, both past and present. Because despite the progress that has been made, LGBT people are still too often the targets of discrimination and violence.
May 17 is an important date: it’s the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. An important day, but just one day. That wasn’t enough for the University of Montpellier, which decided to give this event more prominence.“We’ve turned this day into a week-long campaign against LGBT+ phobias, which we’ve chosen to hold in November because there are fewer students on campus in May,” explains Laure Parmentier, head of the workplace quality of life department.
And reaching as many people as possible is a key challenge in a struggle that remains as relevant as ever.“With advances in rights, it may seem as though things are changing, but in reality, what’s needed is for treatment to be non-discriminatory,” emphasizes Julie Boiché, vice president for social responsibility.
Reaching as many people as possible
Combating discrimination against LGBT individuals has always been a key focus of the institution’s policy; in 2016, it became the first French university to sign the charter of the association L’autre cercle, which promotes greater inclusion of LGBT+ staff in the workplace. This commitment was further strengthened in 2022 with the signing of a new charter that now includes students.
And to reach as wide an audience as possible, the organizers of this week-long campaign against LGBT+ phobia have put together a program that uses the arts and film as“vehicles to reach people who might not necessarily be aware of this cause,”explains Laure Parmentier.
Staff and students were thus able to attend screenings of the film *L’étincelle* in Carcassonne, Perpignan, and Montpellier, where the screening took place in the presence of the director, Benoît Masocco, and was followed by a discussion that was very well received by the audience. This event was followed by the opening of the exhibition “Love Cannot Be Judged, It Must Be Lived” on November 17.“For one month, some twenty original works created by visual artist Laure Boin, as well as byUM students and staffUM learn the art of collage, will be showcased at (S)pace,” explains Laure Parmentier.
Online Harassment
Another highlight of this extraordinary week was the roundtable discussion “Online Hate: A Scourge for LGBT+ People,” which took place on November 14 and featured three speakers: Shani Benoualid, founder of the #jesuislà association, Aurélien Robert, a lawyer admitted to the Montpellier Bar and a member ofthe Nuage association, and Naeva Nossovitch, a clinical psychologist at the university health center.
This choice was by no means random:“Cyberbullying is a major issue in the fight against discrimination. According to the latest annual report from the organization SOS Homophobie, online violence tops the list of acts committed against LGBT people; it alone accounts for 18% of acts of violence, ahead of issues within families, among others,” explains Laure Parmentier.
Beyond these events, this week is“an opportunity to reaffirm theUM combating discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, ” emphasizes the vice president for social responsibility. “This is a key moment that raises awareness, but we must remain vigilant throughout the year and ensure that everyone can lead a fulfilling professional life and thrive without having to hide , ” insists Julie Boiché.
And to make the University of Montpellier an inclusive institution, numerous other initiatives are being carried out. These include a support hotline, HR programs, awareness-raising materials, as well as collaboration with local authorities to promote regional coordination.“Combating these forms of discriminationis an ongoing effort, year-round, to create an environment where everyone can live normally, ” concludes Julie Boiché.
