On May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, France takes a hard look at itself, and the reflection is not flattering. Nearly 5,000 anti-LGBT+ crimes or offenses were recorded in 2025, a 2% increase year-on-year, according to the Ministry of the Interior's statistical service. A modest increase on paper, but one that speaks volumes about a more volatile climate, where insults are once again becoming a reflex and violence is no longer an isolated incident.
At the heart of this reality, Stop Homophobie highlights what its spokesperson, Maxime Haes, calls "a lack of courage" on the part of public authorities. The organization describes a political sphere where homophobic rhetoric is gaining ground, whether overtly or covertly, to the point of giving the impression that anything goes. As we know, and as readers can see, when silence slackens at the highest levels, violence erupts more easily at the grassroots level, in the street, at work, or outside a bar.
When the encounter turns into a trap
The most chilling phenomenon has a name that says it all: the ambush. Stop Homophobia claims that by 2025, one will occur every four days. The scenario repeats itself, almost mechanically, as if some aggressors have found a morbid "game" in it: lure, isolate, beat, rob, humiliate. Following the closure of the Coco website, similar attacks are reportedly shifting to widely used apps like Grindr, according to the organization, which is calling for a security charter and stronger cooperation to limit abuses and better protect users.
And then there's this figure that bothers everyone, starting with the State: only 4% of victims file a complaint, according to Maxime Haes. Many remain silent, out of fear, weariness, and also mistrust. The association describes a "structural problem" when the homophobic nature of the crime is not recognized by the justice system, due to a lack of legal qualification or an interpretation of the facts deemed insufficient, leaving victims with the bitter feeling of a double punishment. May 17th serves as a reminder of the principles, but the year 2025 tells a different story, that of a society that must choose whether it is content to simply commemorate… or whether it finally gives itself the means to prevent fear from dictating how we live and interact with others.
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