The transgender actress Karla Sofia Gascon, awarded at Cannes, has filed a complaint for sexist outrage against Marion Maréchal. Maréchal’s tweet referred to Gascon as a "man" despite her winning the best actress award. Gascon reacted strongly.
This complaint, filed on May 29, follows that of six LGBTQIA+ associations for transphobic insult. Gascon, aged 52, received an award for Emilia Pérez at the Cannes Festival.
According to Gascon’s lawyer, only the person targeted could file a complaint for sexist outrage. LGBT+ associations highlighted that 85% of trans people in France face discrimination or violence. Maréchal’s remarks deny the existence and suffering of transgender people, according to a lawyer.
The film Emilia Pérez, by Audiard, features Gascon as a drug baroness undergoing gender transition. The first trans woman to be awarded at Cannes, Gascon dedicated her prize to "all trans people who suffer."
The associations believe that crimes against LGBT+ people are on the rise. In 2023, 2,870 offenses were recorded in France, an increase of 19% compared to 2022. Internationally, 321 trans people were murdered in one year, according to the Trans Murder Monitoring observatory. Gascon hopes her complaint will encourage the fight against hate speech.