The Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón (Alcobendas, Madrid, 52 years old), protagonist of the musical film Emilia Perezby Jacques Audiard, and the first trans woman to win the Best Actress award at the Cannes Festival (along with the other protagonists of the film Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez), has filed a complaint this Wednesday, May 29 in France for sexist and transphobic outrage against the far-right candidate for MEP Marion Maréchal, who published on her social network account progress for the left is erasing women and mothers,” on the same day that the performer received the award during the festival’s closing ceremony.
“We have to stop him,” Gascón stressed in statements to the EFE agency to explain this lawsuit, which is in support of the one that six French NGOs already formalized on Monday against Maréchal, 34 years old and who is also Marine Le’s niece. Pen. According to the different organizations, they filed the complaint “for having violated the laws of the Republic by promoting hatred and discrimination.” The transgender actress, who won the prestigious award on the night of May 25, pointed out that she has decided to denounce the head of the list in the European elections of the ultra Reconquista party because these NGOs had asked her to do so. In fact, the interpreter has specified that, in the event that the French Justice imposes some type of financial sanction on Maréchal, the money will go to these associations.
The actress has not seemed surprised by the politician’s statements, since she already anticipated this type of comments in the speech she gave when collecting her award. “To all trans people who are suffering hate all fucking day,” she dedicated. She referred to this in a statement in which she explained the situation and the reasons that led the interpreter to join the lawsuit: “The day after the award was given, I have not stopped receiving hateful comments through my social networks, messages, etc., among which was that of a leader of a French far-right party. Six French non-governmental organizations filed a complaint about the hateful comments made by this lady and, obviously, they offered me the opportunity to join them, something that I cannot let go overlooked, because not only is it against me, but it affects to the entire community, which fortunately I have had to represent,” he explained in his text, in which he added that “hateful, racist comments, or any violent action against a socially denigrated minority must be confronted by the law that protects us.” . The actress also adds that she believes that “they have done it on purpose” with the intention of generating noise for the campaign for the European elections on June 9. Gascón has also pointed out that, although she is not linked to any political party, she is filing her complaint “out of social responsibility” because “this type of thing must stop.”
Gascón, who informed the Spanish Government of his initiative, also wanted to respond to Maréchal’s words: “The prize has been won by a woman, with her defects and with her virtues.” But, above all, he insists that the most important thing about winning the award has been “the many people” who have congratulated him and to whom he has “given hope.”
Maréchal already stated on Tuesday, after the announcement of the six NGOs’ lawsuit, but before Gascón’s, that the complaints do not affect him: “No judicial intimidation will keep me silent. I will continue on the side of the truth, of what is real and of the rejection of the annulment of women,” he assured, again, in X.
The actress’s lawyer, Etienne Deshou, told the EFE agency this Wednesday that it is the first time that a procedure for the crime of sexist outrage based on gender identity, which was incorporated into French Criminal Law in April 2023. This crime criminalizes offenses against trans people directed against them precisely because of their gender identity and provides for a penalty of 3,750 euros for people who are found guilty: “It is above all a question of principles,” the lawyer, who estimates that a process of this type takes about two years to culminate in a trial.
