More Celebrities for the Monte-Carlo Summer 2023 Festival

 

Yesterday an announcement was made by the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, the organizers of the 16th edition of the Monte-Carlo Summer Festival extending their list of international celebrities that will be in concert this summer in Monaco.

This year, the summer music festival will be quite varied and jam-packed throughout the season.

At the extended announcement in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Paris on April 13th, the Monte-Carlo SBM and Monte Carlo Live unveiled the full schedule.

Many of the performers at this year’s music festival had been announced in March with those being, Ricky Martin, Mika, Sting, Tarkan, and tribute performer ‘Michael’ The Magic of Michael Jackson.

Now, the Artistic Director, Gilles Marsan announced that headlining the music festival this year will be singing legend Robbie Williams, who will perform at the Red Cross Gala on July 29th.

Legendary crooner, Chris Isaak will play at the Opéra Garnier on July 10th, Norah Jones will perform at the Opéra Garnier on July 12th, and Seal will take to the stage in the Salle des Etoiles on July 16th.

 

On August 4th, in addition to Mika, it was stated that Eros Ramazzotti will perform on August 8th, Nile Rodgers & Chic will play on August 12th, and Tarkan will hit the stage of the Salle des Etoiles on August 19th.

This year, there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy, making it a most memorable summer season.

Tickets can be found at Monte-Carlo Live.

First Female Political Minister Comes Out as Lesbian in France

 

A female politician in France has become the first minister to come out as gay after revealing her sexuality in an interview.

The youngest serving political minister, Sarah El Haïry, for the Democratic Movement revealed she is a lesbian and is dating someone.

The 33-year-old state secretary for youth at the Ministry of National Education casually mentioned her partner while discussing whether she uses Twitter.

In a recent interview with Forbes, the government’s youngest member responded to the question without hesitation saying she only ever reads Twitter when it affects her girlfriend or her family members.

The mention of her partner solidified Sarah El Haïry in the history books, becoming the first female minister in France to identify as part of the LGBTQ community.

Since being appointed youth secretary of state, the government minister has been outspoken regarding both women’s and LGBTQ rights and second nature in her comments.

She has previously called out discrimination against LGBTQ groups in France, saying that promoting LGBTQ rights is a “daily fight”.

Sarah El Haïry’s announcement, which the Forbes interview described as “discreet”, came not long after a similar reveal from former National Assembly of France member, Olivier Dussopt.

In an interview with the French magazine Têtu on March 24th, Olivier Dussopt said that his sexuality was “neither a secret nor a subject” while condemning homophobic attacks in France.

“Being homosexual is never neutral,” he said during the interview. “But one has the right to defend causes, to militate, to participate in the debate without making one’s personal situation a political element in itself.”

He added that, while this was his first time coming out, he has been outspoken for same-sex marriage and LGBTQ autonomy in the past.

Despite France’s current government in support of LGBTQ rights, the rise of the far-right in the country following the 2022 presidential election has caused concern.

Emmanual Macron defeated far-right rival Marine Le Pen in the 2022 presidential race, gaining a slim 58 percent of the vote compared to Le Pen’s 41.46 percent.

Although much more work needs to be done, France is still overall a very safe, and gay-friendly country to visit.

Rencontres In&Out - Festival du Film Queer in Nice

 

Celebrating an amazing 15 years, the In&Out Queer Film Festival gets underway on April 6-15, 2023 in the beautiful, gay-friendly city of Nice.

The association in Nice, created in 2009 is more than just a film festival showcasing the best of LGBTQ works from around the world. With the In&Out festival also taking place at various times of the year in Cannes (since 2009) and Toulon (since 2020), it is here where one can attend discussions not only on films but also on the fight against homophobia, with educational services in schools, and overall awareness in society on the matter.

There are a wide array of film choices to be found throughout the week in Nice on almost any subject imaginable from well-known writers, directors, and actors along with those just starting off their careers in the movie business, many of which will be in attendance for not only discussions but also question and answer periods.

 

The organizers would like to extend a huge thanks to all the volunteers who, since 2009, have given their time to help make this crazy idea a reality, following the five founding friends, Benoît, Isabelle, Matthijs, Sébastien, and Sylvain. Impossible to mention them all without forgetting some of them, but they are the great family of the Ouvreureuses and will recognize themselves.

 
Tickets for the In&Out festival will go fast for the films and events so book early!

 

A New Visa Proposed for Foreign Second Home Owners in France

 

There are a lot of home ownership myths out there for those who are seeking to buy a property in France. One of which we hear most frequently is the assumption that if you buy a home in France, this automatically allows you to come and stay for as long as want.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case as the same wouldn’t apply if one wanted to buy in North America or the UK but with France being such a wonderful travel destination, we can see how there might be some confusion.

With that, there is some good news on the horizon.

Second-home owners (or about to be owners) in France who are not French nationals or legal residents now have the chance of obtaining a special visa so they can completely enjoy their second homes.

Senator Corinne Imbert submitted an amendment to change an upcoming Immigration Bill (Article L. 312-2 of the Code on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners and the Right of Asylum) that “Any foreign national who owns a secondary residence in France may apply for a very long-stay visa authorizing him or her to stay on French territory for a period not exceeding six months per year. This visa is valid for five years.”

The purpose of this amendment is to allow foreign nationals who own a secondary residence (or who plan to) in France to apply for a very long-stay visa authorizing them to stay in France for a period not exceeding six months per year.

This is because of Brexit, for all the British who own homes in France and have found themselves without a visa, when before Brexit, a visa was unnecessary.

The senator commented that “They’ve been here a long time and are really integrated into the life of our villages, including the local associations, so it is important.”

This new visa would work well for non-EU nationals with second homes in France (or those planning to buy here) who can’t stay longer than 90 days under the current visa-waiver program but don’t need or want to commit to a long-stay visa renewable annually in France.

While the amendment was created primarily for the British, it must be available for all non-EU foreigners to avoid being discriminatory.

The campaign has the support of many French politicians, including the Member of Parliament for the Department of Manche, Bernard Sorre, who called the 90-day rule “penalizing for property owners who participate in the local economy, take part in associations and restore old buildings.”

Since this new visa proposal is on the table, this is a good sign that a positive change is coming.

We will keep you informed of any updates.