Le baiser de la lune, how France deals with anti-homophobic education

A couple of days ago I came across this article on Yagg.

Judith Silberfeld from french site Yagg wrote about an animated movie called "Le baiser de la lune" (Moon's kiss). It hasn't been fully produced yet but here's the synopsis : An old she-cat lives in her tower, still waiting for her prince charming for "there is no other form of love". She seems a little bitter and even judgy about the moon who fell in love with the sun... as if such love was possible, she says. Meanwhile, two fish-boys meet and fall in love. At the beginning the narrator wonders how he can possibly be in love with someone who isn't a princess, then he realises "Leo is my princess" and finally Leo convinces him to come out for "He liked the light too much" and "[their] hearts were guiding [them]".

Sébastien Watel, writer and co-director, explains his goals on the movie's official site:

"I wanted to show that two men or two women can love each other even if this love seems different or impossible. Because homophobia often strikes when you're a teenager, the movie is destined to children rather that teenagers."

I watched the trailer and found myself completely charmed.

As a humain being I would like to see this movie.

Now let's change hat/cap or whatever and think as a french school teacher. Let me grab my notebook.

At the end of school around the age of eleven, our students are supposed to be able to respect others, thus apply egality between girls and boys, be conscient of human dignity. Struggle against homophobia, along with other kinds of discriminations is an official part of our mission. Instructions have been renewed at the beginning of this school year.

But let's face it, we don't always have what it takes to do it. It's difficult to be in front of homophobic parents (or even just read some comments) and not feel completely disarmed when facing some arguments. No, you can't catch homosexuality while being "exposed" to it, otherwise everybody would be straight. No we are not teaching boys how to have sex with each other, for instance.

We have very few educational tools to begin with.

Last year our school psychologist and our fifth grade teacher organised a couple of sessions about gender, sexism, homophobia and it was difficult. We (as in the school educationnal team) almost thought it was already "too late" (as if, we could have done it at an early age, that was when I started reviewing children's books who had the guts to show gay parents, gay teenagers.)

With a movie like "Le baiser de la lune" we could have something educationaly approved to show to our students.

Unfortunately our National Education Ministry recently withdrawed its logo from the list of partners / producers of the movie. Seeing that, Martine Billard, a member of the french legislativ assembly, publicly reacted. She insisted on the fact that withdrawingeducationaly approved. the logo wasn't good at all for the fight against homophobia. She also officialy asked for the logo to appear again as a symbol of the values of the National Education 's mission Ministry : to educate to the fact that there are several forms of sexuality and to transmit anti-discrimination values.

I just wish all this noise will help people to be aware of the difficulties of education against all kinds of discriminations.

Links :

Le baiser de la lune (official site, on which you can make a donation)

Facebook petition against the petition against "Le baiser de la lune"

Yagg's articles :

Parler d'homosexualité à des enfants vous n'y pensez pas

Martine Billard interpelle Luc Chatel

Martine Billard's intervention on her own blog.

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