Speaking at UNIQUES, the equality festival that aims to make inclusion topics concrete and accessible to everyone, the journalist and radio and television host Christophe Beaugrand answered our questions about inclusion and the representation of LGBT+ people.
At what moment did you decide that your difference could be a strength?
Christophe Beaugrand: In the beginning, I thought, like many, that my “difference,” which isn’t really one, would be a weakness and potentially a brake on my career. And then I dared to own my homosexuality and I chose to become a host on the first gay channel, Pink TV, over twenty years ago. I was afraid of being burnt; it was a double-edged sword… On the contrary, it allowed me to exist and to be recognized within the audiovisual landscape. Then, transparency was surely one of the reasons I was able to build a relationship of trust with the audience.
What makes you the most proud today?
To have been able to realize my dreams. Professionally but especially personally. Getting married, starting a family, becoming a dad. That is my greatest pride. And that Valentin [the son Christophe had with his partner, ed. note] is a happy, thriving boy who is open to others. It is our children who will shape the society of tomorrow.
What is, in your view, the biggest inequality that still affects LGBT people?
In the eyes of the law, there is almost none left. But the greatest inequality, it seems to me, lies in people’s perception. For many, you can still be insulted; it isn’t “that serious”. Sometimes, it’s even “they exaggerate by talking about it all the time”… The hatred we suffer is often not taken into account as it should be, as other discriminations in society are.
What makes one feel included in a school, a company, in society?
Exemplarity, visibility. That’s what allows things to change. That’s why it’s important to be visible when you feel good and you are in a sufficiently safe environment. It’s good to do it to help others, especially younger people for whom it’s more challenging. Personally, I’ve always seen visibility as a duty. I’ve been lucky; I’ve been given a lot. So I want to help those for whom it’s difficult.
What message would you like to send to a young LGBT person who feels they don’t belong?
Don’t be afraid. You probably feel that part of society rejects you. That you’ll be pointed at. Pushed aside. Know that things have advanced a lot. The battles of those who came before have borne fruit. Now you can marry, have children… and we exist, we are visible. So it may take a little time but you will learn to love yourself and others will accept you because that’s the direction of history. You have to believe it and stay optimistic!
>> The UNIQUES festival, of which Têtu is a partner, will take place on September 12 at the Cité du cinéma, in Saint-Denis. Free admission.
