CrazyExpat Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 France's Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand is facing intense pressure over a book he wrote that described paying for "young boys" in Thailand. The book was written four years ago, before he joined the government, but is back in the headlines following his impassioned support for Roman Polanski. Polanski has been arrested in Switzerland on child sex charges. Mr Mitterrand, nephew of former President Francois Mitterrand, has come under attack from right and left. In his 2005 book The Bad Life, he wrote: "I got into the habit of paying for boys," saying his attraction to young male prostitutes was not dimmed despite knowing "the sordid details of this traffic". "All these rituals of the market for youths, the slave market excited me enormously... the abundance of very attractive and immediately available young boys put me in a state of desire." Mr Mitterrand, 62, has denied being a paedophile, saying the term "boys" was used loosely. 'Sex tourism' The account of cruising for prostitutes in Thailand attracted little attention when it was published in 2005, when Mr Mitterrand was a TV personality. He did not share his uncle's socialist politics, and was brought into the centre-right government by President Nicolas Sarkozy in June 2009. But his strong defence of Polanski has brought the book back into the public eye. Polanski faces deportation to the United States for having had sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977. Mr Mitterrand said the US' behaviour, in seeking his extradition, was callous and "horrifying". Socialist Party spokesman Benoit Hamon told Reuters: "As a minister of culture he has drawn attention to himself by defending a film maker accused of raping a child and he has written a book where he said he took advantage of sexual tourism. To say the least, I find it shocking." Marine Le Pen, vice president of the right-wing National Front, read excerpts of Mr Mitterrand's book aloud during a television interview, and said it left "an indelible stain on the government". She called for the culture minister to step down. "Resign, Mr Mitterrand and perhaps, afterwards we'll be able to give lessons to other people," she said. Mr Mitterrand said it was an honour to be dragged though the mud by the National Front, and criticised the Socialists for making common cause with the extreme right. A senior aide to President Sarkozy, Henri Guaino, on Thursday backed the minister, saying the row was "excessive and quite undignified". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8296578.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaifan Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Another case of high-profile people getting away with things the average person wouldn't. I suppose clarification of his term 'boys' is necessary. I like Thai Boys but not underage ones!!!(takes us back to previous Posts warning us all to check ID's to ensure we don't mess up an under 18 year old. I know many choose their sexuality long before reaching 18 but also many also change their preferences later on so the 18 minimum is not oppressive, but necessary to ensure safety of the younger population. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvdkeyes Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 It seems his choice of the word "boys" is the problem. In Thailand males call themselves boys into their 30's. The word is common usage not necessarily for underage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smoker Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 This is an intentional mistranslation by the Le Pen people. He used the words "garcons" and "mecs" which can mean "boys" but can also mean "dudes." He also used the word "esclave" which can mean slave but can also mean "the penetrated partner during gay male sex." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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