French court: Calling a male hairdresser a ‘f*ggot’ isn’t homophobic
By Will Stroude
A French court has sparked outrage after ruling that calling a male hairdresser a ‘faggot’ is not homophobic – because hair salons are full of gay people.
The Paris tribunal was looking at the case of a salon employee who was fired after failing to turn up for work while sick. He claimed unfair dismissal after his boss accidentally sent him a text using the slur.
The text in question read: “I am not going to keep [the hairdresser]. I don’t have a good feeling about this guy. He’s a dirty faggot…”
The word used in French were “PD” – short for “pédé”, a derogatory term that which translates as “faggot”.
Despite the use of the slur, the court ruled that homophobia couldn’t have been a motive in the sacking, because “hair salons regularly employ gay people”.
“If we put it in the context of the field of hairdressing, the council considers that the term “faggot” used by a manager cannot be considered as a homophobic insult, because hair salons regularly employ gay people, notably in female hairdressers, and that poses no problem at all,” the judgement read.
T’es coiffeur, te faire traiter de “PD” c’est OK parce que, les coiffeurs sont souvent gays hein. Merci le tribunal. pic.twitter.com/orUcZDr522
— Mathieu Brancourt (@MBrancourt) April 7, 2016
Breaking the news with a picture of the udgement, French journalist Mathieu Brancourt, who shared : “You are a hairdresser, you get called a faggot and that’s OK because hairdressers are often gay right. Thanks to the tribunal.”
The ruling has been denounced by French labour minister Myrian El Khomri, who this morn ing called it “outrageous ” and “shocking”, The Local reports.
The hairdresser is expected to appeal the verdict.
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