French Minister Sparks Controversy with Playboy Cover Appearance.
Marlene Schiappa, the French government minister for social economy and associations, is facing backlash from her own party after she appeared on the front cover of Playboy magazine to promote a 12-page interview on women's rights and LGBT issues.
Schiappa has been a long-time advocate for women's rights and was appointed as France's first ever Gender Equality Minister in 2017. She spearheaded the passage of a new sexual harassment law that allows for on-the-spot fines to be issued to men who catcall, harass, or follow women on the street.
However, Schiappa's decision to appear on the cover of Playboy has drawn criticism from some of her political colleagues, including French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. Borne reportedly told Schiappa that the magazine cover was not appropriate, especially during a period when France is dealing with a social and economic crisis.
French politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticized both Schiappa's appearance on Playboy and President Emmanuel Macron's decision to give an interview to children's magazine Pif Gadget this week. Mélenchon tweeted that the situation shows France "is going off the rails".
On the other hand, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin came to Schiappa's defense, calling her a "woman of character" and praising her courage.
Schiappa responded to her critics on Twitter, saying that defending women's rights is an ongoing process and that she will not be intimidated by detractors.
Marlene Schiappa, the French government minister for social economy and associations, is facing backlash from her own party after she appeared on the front cover of Playboy magazine to promote a 12-page interview on women's rights and LGBT issues.
Schiappa has been a long-time advocate for women's rights and was appointed as France's first ever Gender Equality Minister in 2017. She spearheaded the passage of a new sexual harassment law that allows for on-the-spot fines to be issued to men who catcall, harass, or follow women on the street.
However, Schiappa's decision to appear on the cover of Playboy has drawn criticism from some of her political colleagues, including French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. Borne reportedly told Schiappa that the magazine cover was not appropriate, especially during a period when France is dealing with a social and economic crisis.
French politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticized both Schiappa's appearance on Playboy and President Emmanuel Macron's decision to give an interview to children's magazine Pif Gadget this week. Mélenchon tweeted that the situation shows France "is going off the rails".
On the other hand, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin came to Schiappa's defense, calling her a "woman of character" and praising her courage.
Schiappa responded to her critics on Twitter, saying that defending women's rights is an ongoing process and that she will not be intimidated by detractors.
. Schiappa's gotta be thinking like a total boss for taking on Playboy tho 
. I mean, using her platform to promote women's rights and LGBT issues is kinda cool 
. But, I get why some of her colleagues are hating - she's breaking the mold and it's not everyone's cup of tea 
️. Borne should've just kept it in the party 
that's awesome! Schiappa's right, we gotta keep fighting for equality and not let anyone bring us down 
. It's all about progress, baby 
! Like, I get it, promoting women's rights & LGBT issues is super important 
, but playing it cool in a boudoir mag? 
Not sure what's more confusing, Schiappa's party or the rest of us trying to figure out if she's still woke on this one 
. Give her props for owning it though, Marlene! 
She better come correct with some fire answers about these issues, or I'm ghosting her 
Still, kudos to her for standing up for what she believes in, even if it means going against some of the criticism 
. I think it shows she's willing to take risks and speak her mind, which is something we need more of in politics 
. But maybe next time, can we just stick with a more, you know, mainstream platform? 
- this whole thing sounds super sus! Schiappa is all about feminism and equality, but then she decides to slay on the Playboy cover? Idk, man... it just seems like a pretty big contradiction 
! Darmanin is totes right though - Schiappa is a strong woman who knows how to make an entrance 
. This whole situation just has me shook...
she's already got a rep for being super passionate about womens rights & now ppl are gonna diss her over a mag cover lol? i mean, who doesn't love a girl in a pair of high heels on the cover of playboy? 
i think its kinda funny that the french prime minister is so uptight tho 
! i mean, who wouldn't want to talk about women's rights and lgbt issues on the cover of a major mag? 
some ppl gotta get over themselves tho 
. some ppl think she's being brave, others think she's being stupid... me? idk... i guess it's just another example of how complicated life can be 