A writer in Switzerland has been slapped with 60 days in jail because he referred to a journalist as a “fat lesbian.”
Alain Bonnet, who goes by Alain Soral, was found guilty of defamation, discrimination, and incitement to hatred after he was critical of Catherine Macherel, a journalist.
According to The New York Post, Soral called Macheral a “fat lesbian.” While that remark was definitely the headliner, he was also critical of her work as an activist, and called her “unhinged.”
The court also ordered toSoral to pay legal fees and fines totaling thousands of Swiss francs in addition to the time behind bars.
Two years ago, Soral lashed out at Catherine Macherel, a journalist for Swiss newspapers Tribune de Geneve and 24 Heures, in a Facebook video.
He called her a ‘fat lesbian’ and said Macherel’s work as a ‘queer activist’ meant she was ‘unhinged,’ according to Swiss public broadcaster RTS.
LGBTQ+ rights advocates praised the decision in the wake of the court’s ruling.
‘This court decision is an important moment for justice and rights of LGBTQI people in Switzerland,’ said Murial Waeger, co-director of the lesbian activist group LOS, in a statement.
‘The conviction of Alain Soral is a strong signal that homophobic hatred cannot be tolerated in our society.’
