Cannes over the rainbow

Sept. 21 2013

by Frédéric Maurice / TÊTU

All over the world, Cannes is synonymous with palm trees, class made in France and... cinema. Year after year, the famous Cannes Film Festival proves that in addition to being the most prestigious event in the world of cinema, it is also one of the most open to the gay cause. A glance at the list of gay or gay-friendly filmmakers is enough to prove it: Almodovar, Gus Van Sant, Ang Lee, Téchiné, Ozon...

But the acceptance of homosexuality does not stop at the steps of the Palace. If the reputation of the city of old and rich is not usurped, it remains true that it is good to live for gays in Cannes. And it does not date from yesterday. "From 1960 to 1978, Cannes was magical.In a reactive France, we lived our homosexuality in broad daylight, in the party and carefree", remembers, nostalgic, Louis-Raphael, 77 years. The place has what it takes to be a little San Francisco. The quintessence of the French Riviera: sunshine most of the year, miles of fine sand, a concentration of fashionable shops unequalled in the provinces, hot nights in the summer, a popular destination for fashionistas, the look of the city and the quality of life.it is a popular destination for fashionistas, the very metrosexual look of the typical Cannois, neighborhoods such as the Carré d'or, the Suquet or Gambetta that remind us of the Parisian Marais and events (Festival, MipTV, Midem...) that attract the whole world.

Second city of congress in France after Paris, Cannes is a cosmopolitan kaleidoscope where gays have their place. Jean Marais died there. Michou spends all his summers there. Emmanuel Blanc, president of GayLib, is a city councilor. Fred Goudon, the male nude photographer, is honored by the local press, and Thierry Ardisson remembers attending the Zanzibar, the gay institution of Cannes, "at the end of the day, I was there to see the gay men.gay institution in Cannes, "to scenes that marked him for life, boys' orgies" (see TêtuNo. 142).

La Coisette © Alexa

Yet Cannes seemed to have lost its aura in recent years. The gay and lesbian establishments have been reduced to nothing, there is no LGBT center, no association... It was even whispered that they were hunting fags at the Croix-des-Gardes, one of the two places of drag with the beach of the Battery. While Nice, the capital of the Côte d'Azur, has largely gone wild, in Cannes,"the local gay life has gone to sleep", confirms the website Gay-sejour.com. The fault lies with gentrification: Cannes is said to have become sterile. In 2009, two municipal police officers filed a complaint against their superiors, whom they accused of homophobia.

The climate has undoubtedly changed in recent months. Under the impetus of the new managers of the Night, which has established itself as the gay and lesbian club, and of the first deputy mayor David Lisnard, who has a reputation for being gay-friendly, about fifty people have been invited to the Night.gay-friendly, about fifty establishments like the famous Carlton have joined"Cannes Rainbow", a charter that guarantees a welcome to LGBTpeople. "No city in France has gone so far in welcoming gays," says the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association. In January, the municipality went even further by becoming one of the few on the right to offer the celebration of pacs in town hall. Cannes hopes to relive its love affair with gays.