Florent Manaudou and Frédérick Bousquet are well-known for their successes as some of France's top athletes during the 2012 Olympics. The French swimmers have always been well-known for their move in the pool, but thanks to this new campaign, they will be making waves for a whole new reason.
The swimmers' participation in this bold new anti-homophobia campaign is turning heads all over the globe because it's the first of its kind. It's ground-breaking to see two glorified sportsmen illustrate the importance of tolerance and diversity.
Outsports reports that the two men are more than friends. They are very close, since Bousquet is dating Manaudou's sister. The duo was approached by Olivier Ciappa, the photographer who pitched the project, and called the picture "imaginary couples." To prepare them for the shoot he told them: "You're with the person you love. Not a man, not a woman. Then, at the session, I disappear, for they are one with each other." The campaign is now perking up everywhere across France.
Although France legalized gay marriage last April, homophobic attacks have become more mainstream in the past year. Laure Pora, from the Aids awareness group Act Up, told the Guardian that it's not that gay bashings have increased in number, but rather that they have become more socially acceptable. "There's an increase in homophobia today in France. It has always existed but it wasn't always expressed so freely."
Let's hope that respected athletes taking the leap towards tolerance will encourage others to do it as well.
Do you think this will change anything for LGBT people living in France? Let me on Twitter: @feministabulous