• elliot_crane@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’m no expert on French politicians, but a very quick wiki/google search reveals that the former prime minister, Élisabeth Borne was implied to be a lesbian by a French publication that she later sued, denying their assertions. I would hardly call that “openly gay” and it’s pretty scummy of that publisher to invade someone’s personal life like that.

    As for the comment on US journalists, the BBC was also reporting Gabriel Attal’s appointment using the language “openly gay” as early as 06:03 UTC.

    As an American I have plenty of bones to pick with the media here, but your comment comes across as ill-informed, bashing on American journalists just because rather than for any substantiated reason.

    • systemd-catfoodd
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      1 year ago

      I stand corrected and I appreciate it.

      FWIW I’m both a resident of France, where I remember reading in L’obs (center-left weekly political-focused magazine that—usually—does quality reporting) that Elisabeth Borne has a female significant as if she had made no efforts to hide it. I’m guessing now that it’s one if those open parisian secrets (L’Obs has always been derided as being somewhat of a champagne socialist—here we say “caviar left”—outlet and it’s true that it targets mainly the concerns of the upper middle class and above), that Elisabeth Borne didn’t want to go national,

      …And an American citizen who truly loves American journalism on the whole. In France there’s just nothing like The Atlantic, or Conde Nast publications, or NYMag, or even The Verge, or passionate Substackers; there’s hardly anyone as independent-minded Jesse Singal, or Katie Herzog, or Jonathan Haidt…

      EDIT: Went back and checked said article from L’Obs, dated October 2022. It does in fact go no further than to mention “rumors of her homosexuality that floated around newsrooms”. Total case of brain dysfunction on my part, I can only apologize. And downvote myself in atonement.

      • elliot_crane@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Hey it’s all good dude, everyone makes mistakes. I appreciate the follow-up comment and constructive discussion.